A trilateral consortium comprising of
Theragen Bio, Macrogen and DNA Link has been selected for the Korean
government’s bio big data pilot business, the companies said Monday.
The K-DNA big data establishment business
is a project backed by the Ministries of Health, Science and Business to gather
genomic information of 20,000 Koreans in the span of the next two years. The
analysis of these genomic data will provide a basis for various bio health care
businesses.
Starting November, the consortium will
begin an analysis of collected samples using next-generation sequencing
technology. A total of 7,500 DNA samples will be analyzed in the first year of
the project.
Theragen Bio, Macrogen and DNA Link formed
the consortium in July and have taken preparative steps for the project launch,
including setting standards for large-size clinical sample management, NGS data
manufacturing, as well as management and pipeline formation.
The consortium was highly regarded in its
ability to carry out clinical trials, generate quality data as well as ensure
security, Theragen Bio said.
“The goal of this
project is to find treatments for formerly incurable diseases, and to build
independent genomic data for Korea that does not rely on western DNA analysis,
which tends to differ from what fits Korean genetics and their links to
diseases,” a Thergen Bio official told The Korea Herald.
