Novartis agreement with Compugen to speed completion of Novartis human protein database
Novartis AG and Compugen Ltd. today announced a joint agreement for Novartis to utilize Compugen's technology services to accelerate identification of drug targets based on the analysis of fundamental protein data.
"At a time when biotechs and pharmas are adapting to leverage the therapeutic potential of the human genome, Novartis aims to set the standard for how the pharmaceutical industry can swiftly translate the promise of this new science into meaningful therapies," said Paul Herrling, Ph.D., Head of Global Research for Novartis Pharma AG. "Through such efforts as this agreement with Compugen, Novartis aims rapidly to identify and develop innovative rational therapies that will offer significant benefits to more patients."
Under the agreement, Novartis will use Compugen's LEADS computational biology platform to create a complete database that will detail gene expression at the minuscule level of RNA - the chemical that transmits the code for DNA. This expansive database of transcriptomes will represent the thousands of genes known from the public domain, as well as those identified within Novartis and its global network of industry and academic collaborators.
In addition, Compugen will provide Novartis with a proprietary "DNA chip design" that will represent Novartis' transcriptome database. Novartis researchers will then use the gene chips produced from this design to detect rapidly which of the thousands of genes are expressed in various diseases. Then, Novartis will work to identify new drug therapies that address these specific targets.
Mor Amitai, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Compugen Ltd. commented, "We are very pleased that after a thorough evaluation, Novartis has determined that Compugen's technology is the best suited to analyze the vast amount of data represented in its proprietary sequence databases and in the public domain. Compugen will analyze both EST and genomic databases to create for Novartis a reliable representation of transcriptomes of various organisms."
Using its proprietary LEADS computational biology platform, Compugen has identified thousands of novel genes and alternatively spliced variants believed to be unique. In addition, Compugen's chip design system incorporates new knowledge of gene expression and a semi-automatic design process to improve the accuracy of DNA chips.
Herrling said that in order to harness external innovation, Novartis now channels 27% of its research budget into external collaborations. In the increasingly important domain of functional genomics, Novartis has forged a number of strategic partnerships, complementing its own in-house expertise.
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