A Gene Sequencing Pioneer Battles Over What It Can Buy

Is Illumina, a gene-sequencing powerhouse, trying to speed innovation in the field of cancer blood tests or thwart it with an acquisition?

Illumina, the leading maker of gene-sequencing machines, is tiny compared with the tech giants of Silicon Valley. But like Google and Facebook, Illumina now finds itself in the cross hairs of antitrust enforcers in the United States and Europe.

The company bought Grail, a promising start-up in a related business that does not really exist yet. Grail developed a blood test for the early detection of dozens of kinds of cancer. It is the early leader in this technology, but many other companies are developing products for what one day could be a huge global market for medical technology. All of them rely on Illumina’s gene sequencers.

Illumina announced its acquisition plan in September 2020. Six months later, the Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint to block the deal, saying Illumina would have the gatekeeper power and the financial incentive to throttle Grail’s rivals. A few months later, the European Commission began investigating the deal as well.