Roche is advancing its next-generation sequencing (NGS) ambitions in Asia Pacific (APAC) following the global launch of AXELIOS 1 in June 2026. Building on early adoption in South Korea, Roche will bring the transformative technology closer to researchers and laboratory leaders across the region through AXELIOS Days in Sydney and Seoul this November.
The region's NGS market is projected to more than double from $3.4 billion in 2025 to $7.38 billion by 2030, as researchers pursue increasingly ambitious studies to better understand complex diseases and the genetic diversity of regional populations. These evolving research needs are placing greater demands on laboratories to deliver faster results, support a wider range of workflows, from smaller, time-sensitive projects to large-scale genomic studies, and use resources efficiently.
At the core of AXELIOS 1 is Roche's proprietary sequencing by expansion (SBX) technology. It converts genetic information into synthetic molecules called Xpandomers, approximately 50 times longer than the original DNA fragments. This makes individual bases easier to distinguish, supporting high-accuracy sequencing. The platform combines this approach with high-speed processing, offering sequencing runs of approximately 15 minutes to four hours and generating at least 1.8 terabases in a four-hour run, with the potential to deliver whole-genome sequencing results within the same day.
For laboratories, this combination of accuracy, speed and scale offers greater flexibility to manage different research demands, from smaller, time-sensitive projects to large genomic studies, without waiting to accumulate enough samples for a full sequencing run.
As new sequencing capabilities open up opportunities for research, the focus is shifting towards what scientists can investigate next. Roche will bring this conversation to AXELIOS Days in Sydney, Australia, on 9–10 November and Seoul, South Korea, on 12–13 November 2026, convening researchers, laboratory leaders and international genomics experts.
