LA JOLLA, Calif.--Genomics company Sequana Therapeutics here has earned a milestone payment from Glaxo Wellcome in recognition of its success in identifying certain regions of DNA that contain genes associated with noninsulin-dependent diabetes. "This is an important step toward finding the genes responsible for diabetes," commented Callum Bell, Sequana's project leader for diabetes research. "Combining Sequana's high-technology gene discovery platform with Glaxo Wellcome's expertise in the field of diabetes has permitted very rapid progress," he added.
"Our next steps will be to identify the gene or combination of genes that cause diabetes, and then to understand how the proteins these genes encode contribute to the disease," remarked Dan Burns, Glaxo Wellcome's project leader of the diabetes genetics team.