NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – AbbVie has partnered with WuXi Nextcode and Genomics Medicine Ireland to use population genomics to discover and develop novel therapeutics and companion diagnostics for a range of chronic diseases in oncology, neurology, and immunology, the companies announced today.
Under the 15-year collaboration, Genomics Medicine Ireland will work with clinicians and researchers to sequence the genomes of 45,000 Irish volunteers, gather their medical information, and collect the data into a research database. WuXi Nextcode's integrated genomics platform will be used to organize and mine the database, which will be used by AbbVie to investigate new molecular approaches for therapeutic drug discovery and development, as well as to develop companion diagnostics.
Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Genomics is transforming the way we understand some of the world's most devastating diseases and enabling the discovery of new approaches that have the potential to deliver much greater benefit to patients," Jim Sullivan, vice president of pharmaceutical discovery at AbbVie, said in a statement. "This alliance is an important part of our research strategy and complements our significant footprint here in Ireland."