Gilead Sciences and Renown IHI Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance NASH Research Through Genomic and Electronic Health Data Analysis
Gilead Sciences
Antiviral Drug Developer
Renown Health
Renown Health, formerly known as Washoe Health System, was founded in 1862. When Nevada achieved statehood in 1864, the clinic became the region’s first hospital. In 1875, 40 acres of land were purchased, and the following year, the hospital opened with 40 beds. The region’s first pediatric department opened at Washoe Medical Center in 1949. The organization established a heart treatment center in 1963. In the 1970s, it established Northern Nevada’s first cancer treatment center. In 1979, the University of Nevada School of Medicine established a residency program at the hospital. The university later collaborated with the hospital on functional MRI (fMRI) research related to neurosurgery.
Today, Gilead Sciences and the Renown Institute for Health Innovation (IHI) announced a strategic collaboration to enhance understanding of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by collecting and analyzing large-scale genomic and electronic health data, thereby providing additional insights to inform the development of NASH therapies.
NASH is a chronic, progressive liver disease characterized by fat accumulation in the liver, which leads to inflammation and triggers progressive hepatic fibrosis. If left untreated, patients with NASH may ultimately develop cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma, necessitating liver transplantation. It is estimated that by 2020, NASH will become the leading indication for liver transplantation in the United States.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. has established a robust pipeline in the development of therapies for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The company’s R&D strategy centers on combination therapies that simultaneously target multiple signaling pathways associated with NASH. Gilead has partnered with Novo Nordisk to evaluate the combination of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide with Gilead’s cilofexor and firsocostat for the treatment of patients with NASH. Additionally, Gilead has collaborated with insitro to leverage machine learning for the discovery of novel potential therapeutic targets for NASH.
In this collaboration, Gilead Sciences will provide funding to Renown IHI to sequence and analyze the genomes of 15,000 patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), as well as 40,000 healthy volunteers in Nevada. The resulting genomic data will then be integrated with patient information stored in electronic health records to provide insights into the pathogenesis of NASH.
“By integrating sequencing of DNA encoding proteins with extensive electronic health record data, we will be able to conduct in-depth analyses of the roles played by genetic and environmental factors in the onset and progression of NASH,” said Dr. John McHutchison, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development at Gilead Sciences. “Analyses of these large datasets conducted in collaboration with Renown IHI can help identify genetic variants that influence the risk of developing NASH, thereby advancing the discovery and development of novel therapies for this disease.”
References:
[1] Gilead Sciences and Renown Institute for Health Innovation Announce Strategic Collaboration to Advance Understanding of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). Retrieved July 11, 2019, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190711005257/en/
Headline: Express | Next Steps in NASH Portfolio Strategy, Gilead Enters Big Data R&D Collaboration
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