Financial terms were not disclosed, but the companies revealed that, under the terms of the agreement, Genizon will receive an upfront payment, research funding and milestone payments for each therapeutic product that may emerge from the collaboration.
Genizon’s GeneMap for Crohn’s disease was constructed from a whole genome association study of 500 families from the Quebec Founder Population, which is believed to be among the best populations worldwide for genetic research. The results of this whole genome association study are to be used to support development of new therapeutics and diagnostics.
“We are very pleased to enter into this collaboration with Genentech,” said Dr John Hooper, president and CEO of Genizon. “We will work with Genentech to target key elements in the GeneMap to discover and develop potential new therapeutic products for Crohn’s disease. We expect to also identify diagnostics that will aid patient selection and assist in identifying patient response factors.”