Spotlight On: Kengo Takishima, President & CEO, Baylor Genetics
April 2025 — Kengo Takishima, president and CEO of Baylor Genetics, spoke with Invest: about the current uses and future potential of whole genome sequencing to diagnose and prevent disease. “Whole genome sequencing is a comprehensive genetics test that sees all of the genetic information of a patient.”
What have been some major milestones and advancements in the past year for Baylor Genetics?
Baylor Genetics continuously grew in the last 12 months. We have received more samples than ever from patients for our flagship testing product, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), to help them overcome challenging situations due to rare disease. Our number of employees grew by 40%. We launched several new products and services, such as RNA sequencing to provide more accuracy in our diagnostic testing, and Epic Aura, which healthcare providers can easily order through EMRs. We improved the experience for our ordering physicians with this new digital tool, which has helped us to provide our service to more healthcare providers and patients.
What are some shifts in demand for genetic testing that you have observed in the last year?
Whole Genome Sequencing is the most comprehensive genetics test that sees the entire genome of a patient. The clinical utility of this comprehensive testing has been recognized more and more in the rare disease diagnostic space. We provide WGS for patients such as newborn babies facing complications and can provide actionable health insights. Rapid Whole Genome Sequencing allows for a five-day turnaround time, enabling fast and comprehensive diagnostics. Another use for WGS is for pediatric patients struggling with receiving a diagnosis in complicated rare conditions for a long time, the challenge which is called diagnostic odyssey.
Whole Genome Sequencing can help get answers faster in just one test, instead of taking many tests. Over the last 12 months, the clinical use of WGS has increased significantly, reflected in an increase in coverage in healthcare plans. We strive to educate our customers and healthcare providers about the utility of the testing. We believe Whole Genome Sequencing will be recognized as a standard of care in the near future, necessitating the expansion of our sales team so that we can improve access to this solution by more patients.
What role has AI and machine learning played in enhancing genetic data interpretation and patient outcomes?
AI is a crucial component to Whole Genome Sequencing, assisting in the data analysis process. By using AI, we can improve our productivity of the testing. In the future, we will leverage AI for multiple different purposes such as to discover new disease mechanisms and faster and more personalized clinical decision-making. AI technology is necessary to provide that type of personalized insight to the patient using genetic information. There are a lot of potential use cases of AI in genetics.
What are the biggest challenges Baylor Genetics is facing, and how does that relate to what is happening in the wider healthcare industry?
One of the biggest challenges is how to scale our capacity to deliver WGS to more patients, which will require complicated process support. After doing the sequencing, we need to be able to analyze the data and transform it into clinical insight. Certified clinical lab directors need to review all of the genetic sequences and patient data to create a clinical interpretation, requiring a lot of resources. Without the use of AI, we have to hire many clinical directors. We cannot accommodate the increasing volume without utilizing AI and other technology. To keep up with growth, we need to create a way to increase our capacity by using additional technology and AI alongside manual work.
What are the key near-term goals for Baylor Genetics? What initiatives or projects are you most excited about?
The first goal is to provide more accurate and informative testing for rare disease patients. We are providing comprehensive WGS, but the technology is not perfect. To provide more accurate, high-quality insight, we need to combine different technologies with the testing. We can combine multiple different technologies, such as long read sequencing and RNAseq, to be used as a complement to WGS to provide patients deeper insight.
Our second focus is on healthy populations. For example, we can provide WGS to newborn babies as a part of the regular newborn sequencing process. If we provide newborn sequencing with WGS technology, we can target over 450 conditions. We can find a potential disease risk in a newborn and take preventative action at an early stage in their life. Healthy people can take preventive action for diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, as well as insights on potential drug side effects.
Another opportunity is in genetic technology innovation by unlocking the potential of genetic information. We want to utilize genetic information for drug development, clinical condition support, and gene therapy.
How does Baylor Genetics contribute to the Houston market overall?
We are part of the Texas Medical Center, one of the largest medical centers in the world. We are working with many different hospitals in the region, such as Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist, as part of the medical ecosystem. We are providing genetics insight to our partners and provide a training program to future talent. We are contributing to growing future talent in the healthcare industry in Houston. We have a lot of talented people who came from the Baylor College of Medicine and who utilize that talent to provide training.
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