23andMe Announces Collaboration with Pfizer Inc. to Conduct Genetic Research Through 23andMe's Research Platform

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- 23andMe, Inc., the leading personal genetics company, today announced an agreement with Pfizer Inc. that will provide Pfizer with access to 23andMe's research platform, including services and Research Portal analysis of 23andMe's genotyped population of over 800,000 individuals, of which more than 80 percent have consented to participate in research. 23andMe's Research Portal enables qualified and approved scientists outside of 23andMe the opportunity to leverage the company's unique research model while still protecting the privacy and security of 23andMe's customers. Researchers can now fully benefit from the largest dataset of its kind, running queries in minutes across more than 1,000 different diseases, conditions and traits. With this information researchers can identify new associations between genes and diseases and traits more quickly than ever before.

As a part of the agreement, the companies will collaborate on certain genome-wide association studies, surveys, and clinical trial recruitment. One of these collaborations will be a longitudinal study to better understand the genetics of lupus. This study will entail enrollment and genotyping of 5,000 people into a new lupus research community, and include the integration of medical records, targeted bio-sampling along with genetic information for all participants.    

"23andMe's Research Portal and custom research tools may benefit Pfizer by helping to understand some potential linkages between genetic traits and disease," said 23andMe president Andy Page. "By enabling genetic research on a larger scale, we hope to help our partners to speed the development of potential new therapies."

This announcement follows a collaboration between 23andMe and Pfizer to enroll 10,000 people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in a research initiative designed to explore the genetic factors associated with the onset, progression, severity and response to treatments for IBD. Nearly 4,000 patients have been enrolled in the community since August 2014.

"The expanding collaboration with 23andMe provides access to a wealth of data," said Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., Group Senior Vice President and Head of BioTherapeutics Research & Development, Pfizer. "The better we understand the genetic heterogeneity of complex diseases, the faster we may be able to accelerate the pace of development for potential new treatments for the right patient subpopulation."

About 23andMe

23andMe, Inc. is the leading personal genetics company dedicated to helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. Founded in 2006, the vision for 23andMe is to personalize healthcare by making and supporting meaningful discoveries through genetic research. More information is available at 23andMe.com.

CONTACT: Jackie Kahn, 202-538-0128

SOURCE 23andMe