Pharmaceutical Business review

GenData and Amgen announce genetics pact

The terms of the collaboration include sponsored research activities, product development milestones, and financial consideration associated with therapeutic and diagnostic products that result from the collaboration. Detailed financial terms have not been disclosed.

“We are excited to be collaborating with Amgen on a project we hope will improve the health of many people,” said Dr Stephen Prescott, CEO of GenData. “Our unique resources, including the Utah Genetic Reference Project, the Utah Population Database, and our pedigree-based genetic approach have the potential to accelerate the discovery and development of new drugs and diagnostics.”

The Utah Genetic Reference Project is an extensive collection of genotypic and phenotypic characteristics collected from more than 600 individuals representing approximately 45 Utah families.

These large multigenerational families donated their DNA to the Centre d’Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) approximately 20 years ago, and since then their DNA has been a critical resource in the mapping studies that identified genes for a number of genetic diseases and disorders.

The Utah Population Database is an unmatched integration of vital statistics, clinical records, and genealogical information. Currently, the Utah Population Database comprises more than seven million linked records, including genealogical records, population records, and vital statistics that are linked to medical information.