Commercial agreement with Congenica supports UniteGen’s goal of achieving the world’s largest human genome database
Cambridge, UK – 21st June – Congenica’s Sapientia™ clinical genome analysis software platform will be used by China-based UniteGen to carry out whole genome sequencing (WGS) processing and analysis as part of China’s “100K Wellness Pioneer Project”, hosted by Beijing 4P Health Research Institute.
The China-wide initiative aims to analyze and understand the genomes, metabolomes, proteomes, and clinical symptoms of 100,000 Chinese individuals with the goal of improving disease prevention and promoting overall healthcare management. It was announced during the Fourth 301 Health Forum 2017 and Sixth National Checkup Centre Director Summit and PLA Health Management Committee Annual Conference, in May, organized by PLA General Hospital, Chinese Health Management Association and PLA Health Management Professional Committee (see full statement by UniteGen below).
Use of Sapientia is part of a strategic commercial agreement with Congenica to support UniteGen’s operations in China, announced earlier this year. Under the agreement, UniteGen will be processing and analyzing all of the sequencing data generated during the project.
Weike Mo, founder and CEO of UniteGen has commented that “Partnering with Congenica, a highly-regarded global leader for genomic data analysis and clinical interpretation, is a significant milestone for UniteGen. Sapientia incorporates all the features needed by Chinese healthcare practitioners to integrate genetic testing into clinical decisions. The automated reporting software solves a critical bottleneck for the genetic testing industry in China.”
Shikha O’Brien, Chief Business Officer at Congenica said: “Genomic technology will be central to the next generation healthcare system that is evolving rapidly in China and we are delighted to be working with UniteGen and the “100K Wellness Pioneer Project”, both at the forefront of that change and committed to the benefits it will bring to patients”
China’s “100K Wellness Pioneer Project” is the second major national genomics project where Sapientia has played a key role. Genomics England has been using Sapientia over the past two years as the WGS Clinical Interpretation platform for its 100K Genomes project, which aims to sequence and analyze the genomes of NHS patients with rare diseases as well as their families, and patients with cancer. WGS analysis enables rapid diagnosis of rare disease, ensuring that an appropriate course of management and treatment can be administered to patients in as little as a few days.
About UniteGen:
Unitegen is a molecular diagnosis company focusing on precision health services headquartered in Beijing with diagnostic laboratory in Chongqing, China. Founded in 2015, Unitegen team brings experience of R&D, operation, marketing, and sales from health care industry. With investment from Grandhope, a public traded company in China, Unitegen has developed proprietary products covering precision health, precision medicine, and contract research services. www.unitegen.com
About Beijing 4P Research Institute:
Beijing 4P Health Research Institute is a national non-profit social organization that was initiated by the China Health Promotion Foundation, the National Center for Nanoscience Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Radix Healthcare Technology and Nanopep Biotech Corporation, Beijing. Dr. Leroy Hood, an Academician of the Academy of Sciences, Academy of Engineering, School of Medicine, School of Science and Art and Mr. Bai Shuzhon, a former Minister of Health of the General Logistics Department of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and Chairman of the China Health Promotion Foundation, were appointed honorary Deans of the Institute. Mr. Hu Zhiyuan has been appointed as Dean of the Institute and is a fellow of National Center for Nanoscience, as well as CEO of Nanopep Biotech Corporation, Beijing.
Translated from the Chinese, issued by UniteGen, May 7, 2017:
UniteGen to undertake “100 thousand pioneer genomes project”
The Fourth 301 Health Forum 2017 and Sixth National Checkup Centre Director Summit and PLA Health Management Committee Annual Conference, organized by PLA General Hospital, Chinese Health Management Association and PLA Health Management Professional Committee closed yesterday Sanya, China after a successful meeting.
The meeting was attended by a number of well-known experts from China and abroad, and talks were also given by officers of the Chinese Medical Association and UniteGen.
At the meeting, the 4P “100 thousand pioneer” research project was discussed in-depth and initiated. As an active promoter of precision and health, UniteGen will undertake the task of analyzing and processing the sequencing data generated during this project. Professor Hu Zhiyuan from Beijing 4P Research Institute and Institute of Nano Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences announced the launch of China 4P “100 thousand pioneer” research project and explored 4Ps medicine – Predictive, Preventive, Personalized and Participatory – and its role in Chinese health management alongside 301 Hospital Health Management Center and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
4P medicine is the Institute’s precision health management model. Compared to traditional medical models, 4P medicine can actively prevent disease, and generate dynamic individual data clouds for a healthy individual to help to avoid disease. To achieve this target, the genetic testing technology innovation and the development of bioinformatics are the key tools. UniteGen will utilize the Bio-Informatics software platform Sapientia™ from Congenica to provide important support for the 4P Health Program.
UniteGen is a rapid developmental molecular diagnostic and gene sequencing company that has successfully developed and marketed a dozen genetic testing products since it was established in 2015. Its success has been driven by both the founding team and its marketing efforts, as well as its constantly pioneering and entrepreneurial quality standards. Recently, UniteGen signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the British genome data analysis company Congenica, using the bioinformatics platform Sapientia to analysis genomic data, for more effective health management and disease diagnosis on an individual level. Congenica is a global company founded on pioneering research from NHS England and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute based at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridge, UK. Congenica has translated this research into its gold standard clinical genomic analysis software platform, Sapientia, providing integration of human DNA sequences with deep clinical phenotyping, enabling clinicians to provide actionable interpretation of genetic disease for patients. UniteGen and Congenica reached a co-operation agreement in early 2016 to set up its Sapientia diagnostic platform in China so that UniteGen can integrate server resources and sample testing for large health management applications, disease screening and diagnosis in China.
The launch of the 4P “100 thousand pioneer” research project aims to undertake multi-group data analysis including the genome in 100,000 Chinese people, and establish Chinese population data for disease prevention and health management. The Congenica bioinformatics software platform Sapientia will enable UniteGen to have the world’s largest genome database of healthy individuals and those with genetic diseases, to help effectively manage health care in the future.
The use of scientific knowledge for individual health management will dramatically prevent the occurrence of many diseases. Each of us has a unique genetic composition, on an individual level, and it’s important to understand each individual’s genetic information in order to achieve scientific and accurate health management.
In general, 30% of the diseases are thought to be related to genetic disorders and 60% are caused by environmental and lifestyle factors, with much interaction between these factors. This requires us to change the existing awareness: to prevent the disease rather than rely on treatment after disease onset. To make health management reliable and enable scientific research, it is key to quantify health indicators. Individual genetic information, provided by various clinical indicators, can effectively quantify health. Whole genome sequencing allows us to analyze individuals’ genetic information and assess the risk of diseases and give recommendations on targeted health management. This is the future of management of health and disease. One of the strategic direction of the development of UniteGen is “UGhealth®” precision medicine gene screening.
Another strategy UniteGen is focused on is diagnosis and treatment for specific diseases. Accurate and effective treatment for individual patients is critical and may even be the last chance to change the fate. “UGmedicine™” precision drug use based on gene screening can provide a precise recommendation of suitable medication to avoid medical incidents. This is of great significance to improve the efficiency and accuracy of genetic diseases.