Date: 2015-08-18
Type of information: Collaboration agreement
Compound: “Genomic Translation for ALS Clinical care” (GTAC)
Company: Biogen (USA - MA) the ALS Association (USA) Columbia University Medical Center (USA - NY)
Therapeutic area: Neurodegenerative diseases - Rare diseases
Type agreement: collaboration
Action mechanism:
Disease: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Details: * On August 18, 2015, Biogen, the ALS Association and Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) today announced a new collaboration to better understand the differences and commonalities in the ALS disease process and how genes influence the clinical features of the disease. The project, “Genomic Translation for ALS Clinical care” (GTAC), will involve a combination of next generation genetic sequencing and detailed clinical phenotyping in 1500 people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The goal of the project is to provide a basis for the development of precision medicine, or more individually tailored therapies for ALS. An explicit aim of the collaboration is to set the stage for a nationwide effort to ensure the genomic characterization of all patients with ALS. Patient blood cells will be stored at the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Core, a facility supported by the ALS Association, at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute. This cell bank will allow researchers to create cell lines for further study, based on leads provided by genome sequencing. Clinical data will be collected and curated through the NeuroBank system at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and cell lines will be developed at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. Currently, participating clinical sites in this effort include the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, Duke Medical Center, Houston Methodist, the Scotland ALS clinic network, University of Minnesota and Hennepin County Medical Center, University of Utah, University of Washington, and Washington University in St. Louis.
Financial terms: The project is being funded through Biogen’s $30 million strategic alliance with CUMC and $3.5 million from the ALS Association. The ALS Association’s commitment comes from funds raised directly through the Ice Bucket Challenge.
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