AstraZeneca signs up three partners for genomics research

Anglo-Swedish pharma major AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) and its global biologics R&D arm, MedImmune, have today announced a far-reaching integrated genomics initiative to transform drug discovery and development across its entire research and development pipeline.

The initiative, which has been described by observers as a massive gene hunt and the most comprehensive bet yet by a pharmaceutical firm, includes new collaborations with US firm Human Longevity, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK, and The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Finland. AstraZeneca will also establish an in-house Centre for Genomics Research which will develop a bespoke database comprising genome sequences from samples donated by patients in its clinical trials together with associated clinical and drug response data. Financial terms of the collaborations were not disclosed.

Menelas Pangalos, executive vice president, Innovative Medicines & Early Development at AstraZeneca, said: “Using the power of genomics is the foundation of our ambition to develop the most innovative and impactful treatments for patients. With the advent of next generation sequencing and the increased sophistication of data analysis, the time is now right to immerse ourselves fully in the international genomics community through these pioneering collaborations and through the creation of our own genome centre. We will leverage information from up to 2 million genome sequences, including over 500,000 from our own clinical trials, to drive drug discovery and development across all our therapeutic areas. Genomics will be fundamental to our laboratory research, our clinical trials and the launch of our medicines for patients.”