This article has been corrected to note that Perlegen is a spinout of Affymetrix, not a subsidiary as previously reported.
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Perlegen Sciences said today it will work with an undisclosed electronic medical records company to search through data from four million patients for genetic markers that could help predict patient response to certain medical treatments.
Perlegen said it has reached an agreement under which it will have exclusive access to a database of US medical records, from which it will target patients who will be sought for DNA samples.
The EMR company will be paid subscription and program fees and milestone payments connected to the launch of any new diagnostic tests that result from the collaboration. Perlegen also said it will receive partial ownership in the EMR provider, the volume of which will be dependent on achieving certain revenue levels.
Perlegen, which is a spinout of Affymetrix, said it will work with the patients’ doctors to obtain the DNA samples in a way that is compliant with US privacy laws. That means that Perlegen “will never have access to specific patient identities, but instead will only receive de-identified patient records, which can then be re-identified only by participating healthcare institutions” in a manner that is consistent with US health insurance law.