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China's BGI gets Australian foothold through mass coronavirus test delivery
MAY 14, 2020
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia says its purchase of 10 million coronavirus test kits from Chinese genomics company BGI will not risk patient privacy, as researchers hope for greater price competition in a biotech market dominated by a U.S rival.
BGI – Beijing Genomics Institute - has grown into one of the world’s largest genomics companies in the two decades since it worked on the Human Genome Project. It has one lab in Australia and had been seeking to expand its genome sequencing services.
BGI, whose BGI Genomics Co is listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, was named as having “evident links” to the Chinese government in a U.S. Trade Office report into Chinese technology transfer practices that was used to justify the U.S. imposition of tariffs on Chinese exports.
BGI Australia Director Bicheng Yang said in a statement to Reuters that BGI Group does not condone and would not be involved in human rights abuses.
BGI is also defending multiple patent lawsuits from U.S. firm Illumina Inc, the dominant player in the Australian market.
Australian pathology companies have installed BGI’s nucleic acid extraction machines in 11 laboratories, to process the tests automatically, BGI said in a statement.
A spokesman for Australian health minister Greg Hunt said privacy laws covered pathology tests and patient data, and the use of BGI equipment had been approved by security agencies.
“BGI will have no access to patient information as they will not be operating the labs,” the spokesman said in a statement, with pathology companies required to comply with security agency advice on installing BGI’s technology.
MAY 14, 2020
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia says its purchase of 10 million coronavirus test kits from Chinese genomics company BGI will not risk patient privacy, as researchers hope for greater price competition in a biotech market dominated by a U.S rival.
BGI – Beijing Genomics Institute - has grown into one of the world’s largest genomics companies in the two decades since it worked on the Human Genome Project. It has one lab in Australia and had been seeking to expand its genome sequencing services.
BGI, whose BGI Genomics Co is listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, was named as having “evident links” to the Chinese government in a U.S. Trade Office report into Chinese technology transfer practices that was used to justify the U.S. imposition of tariffs on Chinese exports.
BGI Australia Director Bicheng Yang said in a statement to Reuters that BGI Group does not condone and would not be involved in human rights abuses.
BGI is also defending multiple patent lawsuits from U.S. firm Illumina Inc, the dominant player in the Australian market.
Australian pathology companies have installed BGI’s nucleic acid extraction machines in 11 laboratories, to process the tests automatically, BGI said in a statement.
A spokesman for Australian health minister Greg Hunt said privacy laws covered pathology tests and patient data, and the use of BGI equipment had been approved by security agencies.
“BGI will have no access to patient information as they will not be operating the labs,” the spokesman said in a statement, with pathology companies required to comply with security agency advice on installing BGI’s technology.
