GSK and MRC to identify new therapeutic targets and biomarkers from genetic association studies
Issued — Thursday 24 January 2008, London, UK
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and The Medical Research Council (MRC) have today announced the creation of a jointly funded programme seeking to identify and validate genes associated with common human diseases. A key aim of the programme will be to translate these observations into identifying new targets and biomarkers of disease.
The MRC and GSK will each invest £1 million in the programme over the next three years, which will pilot a new way of collaborative working between the two organisations. It will bring together academic and industrial expertise and resources in areas of mutual interest through joint funding and sharing from large databases and sample collections held by the partners. The collaboration will speed the translation of genetic insights into new concepts for therapy and other benefits for patients.
Projects funded through the programme will bring together MRC and GSK resources to study the role of genes in common human diseases through genetic association studies. This approach of combining data sets is increasingly recognised as necessary in order to increase the statistical robustness of studies and to enable the categorical identification of genes at the root of a disease. As part of the collaboration, GSK will make extensive data acquired from large disease-related and population-based genetic studies available. The GSK collections have considerable potential to better link genetic traits to detailed variations in phenotypes.
The programme will be managed by a joint MRC-GSK Steering Group, which will oversee the funding and progress of projects. To mark the creation of this partnership two major awards are being announced.
The first will support research on depression where the genetic basis is complicated and not well understood at a molecular level. This study aims to identify genes involved in susceptibility to depression.
The second is focused on using large cohorts of patient and population data to identify new genetic variants associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders and to more precisely localise the causal variant underlying the genetic signal.
Dr Patrick Vallance, Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline, said “The genetics of human diseases has come of age and GSK wants to make the most of current knowledge and research to significantly impact treatment options. We have worked hard to collect and refine our data but we now need to take a bold step forwards and work with others to uncover the new disease targets and genetic variations that are useful to inform drug discovery and development. GSK is looking forward to pioneering this novel and exciting working partnership with the MRC which we believe models openness and collaboration. We hope other industry groups will see the power of pooling knowledge in this way and consider how they too can work productively with academic partners. Lon Cardon is GSK's new head of Genetics who will lead for GSK on this collaboration.”
Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council, said “This type of project is a testament to the collaborative working relationship which exists between public and private research in the UKand allows both to thrive. By pooling our resources with GSK and making the most of existing investments, the MRC can support the very best research into the patterns and causes of disease. Getting more statistically significant cohorts and hence results will allow us to identify genetic and other contributors to disease more quickly and maximise benefits for future patients.”
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline — one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies — is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For more information and the company’s product development pipeline, visit GSK at www.gsk.com.
About The Medical Research Council
The Medical Research Council is dedicated to improving human health through excellent science. It invests on behalf of the UKtaxpayer. Its work ranges from molecular level science to public health research, carried out in universities, hospitals and a network of its own units and institutes. The MRC liaises with the Health Departments, the National Health Service and industry to take account of the public’s needs. The results have led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical science and benefited the health and wealth of millions of people in the UKand around the world. www.mrc.ac.uk
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