Country wins private gene bank with a focus on population diversity

by

The kick-off for the creation of the first private gene bank focused on Brazilian diversity was given this Monday (12), with the announcement of the construction of the largest health and genomics data platform in the country, which has the goal of gathering information from 200 One thousand people.

The project was born with the ambition to diversify the profile of the world’s genomic banks. Today, about 80% of this data is from white populations in Europe and the United States.

As a result, research on genetic risks for various diseases is basically carried out with people of European ancestry, and the results, when applied to other populations (multiethnic and mixed race, for example), are not so precise.

This is a crucial point for the so-called precision medicine, which combines data already used for diagnosis and treatment (signs, symptoms, tests, personal/family history) to the person’s genetic profile. In Brazil, however, it is still for few. In cancer, for example, it is estimated that only 10% of patients are treated with new techniques and drugs.

“The scientific community realized that it was developing precision medicine only with white people. It is natural because these richer countries, with white populations, are investing in research, but this is no longer acceptable”, explains Lygia da Veiga Pereira, professor and researcher at USP and CEO of biotech gen-t, responsible for the biobank.

According to her, the idea is that, in the future, the research platform will help in the development of more accurate medicines and diagnostic tests for the Brazilian population.

The startup received an initial investment of around R$ 10 million and has important investors, such as Eduardo Mufarej, founder of RenovaBR, Armínio Fraga, former president of the Central Bank, Daniel Gold, an American investor specialized in biotechnology, farmatech Norte -American Roivant Sciences, among others.

In addition to trying to change this scenario of ethnic inequality in studies, a platform with genomic data from non-Caucasian populations also increases the possibility of unprecedented discoveries in the field of innovation. “This is a little explored territory”, says Pereira.

Brazil took an important step in this direction in 2020, when the Genomes Brasil project (National Genomics and Precision Health Program) was launched, coordinated by the Ministry of Health. Among other objectives, the project foresees the sequencing of genes of carriers of rare, cardiac, infectious diseases, cancer, among others, recruited directly by the services of the public network.

Lygia Pereira, who participates in the population arm of the program, says that from that experience she saw the possibility of creating a company to set up a platform for genomic and health data on the population, but now on people served by popular private health systems.

“That’s where we’re going to find our diversity. If I go to top hospitals I’m just going to include more white DNA in our sample.”

For the venture as an entrepreneur, Pereira abdicated the exclusive dedication regime that she had at USP and opted for part-time. The project already has approval from the research ethics committees.

The startup has partnered with the network of popular clinics Dr. Consultation on patient recruitment. To be part of the research, it is necessary to be over 45 years old, agree to the consent term, allow access to your clinical history, available in the electronic medical records of the network.

Recruited patients will also complete questionnaires about their health, disease history and lifestyle, undergo a series of laboratory tests and donate two tubes of blood to the biobank for DNA sequencing and plasma storage for future research.

In return, participants will receive test results and guidance on increased risks for diseases and possible prevention measures. “The idea is to open a channel with these people and feed our platform, to find out what will happen to their health over the years.”

According to the researcher, collections have already started in four clinics in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and the expectation is to reach 20,000 participants by February 2023 and 200,000 in five years. The expansion to more locations in Brazil depends on new partnerships with other health companies.

And what will the startup gain from this? In the short term, the proposal is to collaborate in accelerating innovation in the industry based on answers that will be sought in the biobank.

For example, if the client is interested in data on pulmonary fibrosis, researchers can target the recruitment of patients with that patient profile and provide the answers the industry needs. There are three companies interested in contracting pilot projects.

In the medium term, the idea is to develop own lines of research that lead to the development of new products. “It is a for-profit company, however, the profit will be the result of something nice that comes first. It is not selling ketchup, it will have an impact, generate innovation, new discoveries for the country”, says the researcher.

You May Also Like

Recommended for you