Hi All, I am curious what SQNM and ILMN each make from the joint licensing. If someone if up to do the calculation, I think these are the components that go into it:
SQNM: royalty (X)
ILMN: royalty (Y) + instrument sales (long time cycles) + consumables (short time cycles)
I don't know if X=Y, and what ILMN may reasonably expect from the other parts of the deal (sequencers + consumables) for a typical new lab getting into the test.
Going forward, SQNM clearly needs a higher barrier for entry for new comers (patent protection seems the only way), greater premium for their biochemistry know-how, pricing power based on brand value (unlikely as the NIPT test is basically commoditized right now), and a surprising new platform technology that no one knows about as yet (I still hope for it but I don't think that they have the tech. chops for it).
The ILMN partnership looks to be more beneficial to ILMN than to SQNM. Hopefully SQNM can cover some of the above elements with the liquid biopsy test.