2025 Catalogue: see what’s new and buy your EQA
View our 2025 catalogue and register for your scheme today!
EMQN provides EQAs for ten different genomics themes
- Genomic and Inherited Disorders
- Molecular Pathology
- Pharmacogenetic Testing
- NEW: Point-of-Care Testing
- NEW: Pre-analytical (sample handling)
- Prenatal Testing
- Postnatal Testing
- Technology
- Interlaboratory Comparison (sample exchange)
- Variant Classification and Interpretation
The new 2025 EQA catalogue has some big changes!
You spoke and we listened! We have updated our catalogue and some of our EQA schemes based on your feedback to better meet the needs of laboratories.
- We have reduced the maximum number of molecular pathology cases from ten to five, to save analysis costs and time.
- We are increasing the number of schemes for which we offer “virtual” cases, to enable the inclusion of rare genotypes and reduce analysis costs. However, we will still provide cases with corresponding DNA samples for all our EQA schemes, to ensure the whole laboratory pipeline is tested from sample receipt to reporting.
- We have improved our online catalogue to allow purchasing of additional samples (where available); these can now be purchased with the scheme without having to order a separate item.
- We are piloting flexible EQA options, allowing you to participate in schemes that better align with your laboratory practices and diagnostic service scope.
- We aim to make the purchase process faster, smoother and with more visibility for all participants.
In 2025, flexibility is our goal
In 2025, we will be piloting changes to our scheme portfolio to enable more flexibility when participating in EQA. New for 2025, the hereditary hearing loss scheme has options to participate in EQA for either targeted DFNB1 locus testing, or for gene panel testing, enabling you to choose the format that best aligns with your laboratory requirements.
Some EQA schemes include the option to purchase extra cases. For example, the lung cancer (NSCLC) EQA scheme is available for laboratories providing testing services for common biomarkers in EGFR, KRAS and BRAF, and has the option to add on extra cases for new and emerging biomarkers involving the EGFR, KRAS, ERBB2 and MET genes.
If successful, we will roll these strategies more widely in 2026. We aim to better meet the needs of laboratories as the genetic testing landscape continues to evolve by offering more flexibility in the EQA services we provide.
Our goal is to ensure the highest diagnostic quality, from laboratory to patient.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news on these changes and more to come!
Registration Deadlines
Germline EQA Schemes: November 30th, 2024, 23:59 GMT
Molecular Pathology and Technical EQA Schemes: February 28th, 2025, 23:59 GMT
Updates to specific schemes
Genomic and Inherited Disorders
Inherited Retinal Disorders (IRD) has an expanded scope. We now offer cases involving genes known to cause either syndromic or non-syndromic IRD.
We provide four mock clinical cases with matching samples and a minimum of two cases for NGS panel testing. One of these involves a variant in a gene related to an approved/in trial therapy, and one optional case for RPGR ORF15 testing.
This EQA now better assesses the analytical pipelines of laboratories offering comprehensive testing services such as those required to effectively diagnose IRD and improve reporting standards to ensure more effective care for patients affected by this heterogeneous group of disorders.
Molecular Pathology
EMQN are pleased to announce two NEW pilot EQA schemes available for registration for 2025.
- Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), supported by MSD sponsorship. Places are limited so register early to avoid disappointment.
- Pan-Fusion EQA, for laboratories testing for clinically relevant gene fusions in solid tumours.
NEW: Point-of-Care Testing
Available for purchase now:
POCT verification package with patient-like swab-based materials to help support laboratories implement and verify POCT devices for MT-RNR1 testing, since we know that obtaining clinical samples for verification of MT-RNR1 POCT can present a challenge when implementing devices.
Coming soon! Two new Point-of-Care Testing surveys. Stay tuned for more news about:
- MT-RNR1 testing for newborns at risk of aminoglycoside (antibiotic) induced deafness.
- CYP2C19 testing in patients at risk of stroke.
NEW: Pre-analytical
The cfDNA extraction EQA in partnership with SensID will be fully sponsored by AstraZeneca in 2025. There will be two distributions for this scheme (March and September 2025).
We will provide three artificial plasma samples for cell free DNA (cfDNA) extraction for each survey. These are designed to mimic nucleosomal circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from patients.
Since cfDNA extraction is critical for sensitive molecular analysis, this EQA will allow you to monitor the quality of your cfDNA extraction procedures and to benchmark results against other global laboratories.
Technology
We now offer multiple submission options on our NGS Germline CNV scheme: you can now upload two sets of data for this EQA. Test two different techniques, platforms, gene panels, or kits for the price of one submission.
