Roche Collaborates With Department of Health Of Junta De Andalucia

Roche and the Department of Health of Junta de Andalucia, Spain, have signed an agreement for a co-operation in the Medical Genome Project (MGP). Its a research project created to analyse the genomes of people with rare diseases and identify the defective gene or genes causing the disease and its behaviour.

Reportedly, Roche is expected to contribute E4m to the MGP. In exchange, Roche reserves the right of first refusal over any possible license regarding discoveries made within the scope of the project.

The project, initiated by the Junta de Andalucia Department of Health, will begin in 2010 and extend to 2013. The research will take place in the Scientific and Technical Complex Cartuja 93 (Seville).

The company said that in the first phase, the research project will concentrate on defining the whole variability of human genes and will work with about 300 DNA samples, each of which can contain up to 26,000 different genes. Once the genetic variability has been defined, it will be compared with the genetic alterations observed in rare diseases to identify the causal gene or genes of thousands of these conditions.

Moreover, in the final phase, the project will concentrate on the search for specific therapies for genetic-based diseases, in the field of personalised healthcare. The approach of personalised healthcare is to use new molecular insights and molecular diagnostic tests to better tailor medicines and better manage diseases. Roche aims at tailoring medicine as closely as possible to patients’ needs.