Genetic testing company 23andMe Inc and Genentech has teamed up to work in direction of finding new and effective treatment methods for people with Parkinson’s disease.
The companies on Tuesday entered into a USD 60 million deal over generating genome sequencing data for the patients of Parkinson’s.
Under the agreement, the companies will jointly work on the generation and collection of whole genome sequencing data for such patients.
For the study, the companies will involve about 3,000 patients of Parkinson’s disease and generate their genome sequencing. These data will be compiled together for future research works in the direction of Parkinson’s.
According to the companies, the main aim behind the deal is to create a genome database of people with Parkinson’s so as to facilitate the research works for the proper identification of new therapeutic targets in order to treat the degenerative neurological condition.
23andMe will looking after the generation of the genome sequencing and the collection of data from the people with Parkinson’s disease. On the other hand, Genentech will be working on the identification of potential therapeutics based on the provided data.
Once the multi-year agreement is over, 23andMe can conduct additional research on the available data and is also allowed to share the data with other researchers who are studying Parkinson’s.
Only those individuals will be allowed the access of data for de-identification and contribution who will provide 23andMe with explicit permission.
A report shows about a million Americans affected with the Parkinson’s disease. The health experts say there is no absolute cure for the neurological disorder. But they there are few effective medications that can improve its symptoms.