Discovery Platform
Genizon has proven its ability to identify substantial numbers of disease genes in each disease using GWAS (genome-wide association studies) and deeply analyze the data in order to derive a comprehensive understanding of the genetic basis of common diseases. Its proprietary discovery platform augments the initial discoveries with additional genes specific for patient subgroups, genes that predispose to disease in patients who lack the initially discovered genes and most importantly, gene-gene interactions.
For each of the GWAS Genizon has completed, the Company has assembled a comprehensive map of interacting genes (GeneMaps) that have shed new light on biological pathways involved in the disease. The discoveries are providing opportunities in each program to address new drug targets.
Completed GWAS |
GWAS in Progress | GWAS-Ready** | Ongoing DNA Collection |
|---|---|---|---|
Acne |
Celiac Disease |
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Allergic Rhinitis |
Essential Tremor |
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Metabolic Syndrome*** |
Asthma |
Glaucoma |
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Coronary Heart Disease |
Baldness |
Macular Degeneration |
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COPD |
Panic Disorder |
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Migraine |
Osteoporosis |
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Osteoarthritis |
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder |
* Genotyping completed, currently at data analysis stage
** Patient DNA collection completed or near completion
*** Type II diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension
Genizon’s discovery platform produces a comprehensive understanding of the genetic etiology of common diseases. Genizon's platform involves:
- A clinical network of over 1,000 physician-investigators and 250 nurses, who have enrolled more than 45,000 subjects according to disease-specific clinical protocols.
- The collection of DNA from the comparatively genetically homogeneous Quebec Founder Population which substantially enhances the detection of biomarkers, genes and targets.
- Proprietary statistical genetics algorithms that identify:
- Genes and biomarkers directly from the GWAS
- Additional genes and biomarkers that provide insight into the genetics of patient subgroups
- Gene-gene interactions that enhance understanding of the disease process
- Systems that reliably process terabytes of data for each GWAS
- Visualization techniques that combine results from Genizon’s GWAS with information from a variety of public and private databases, to support the crafting of GeneMaps
- Integration of clinical, laboratory, bioinformatics and genetics data, and proprietary algorithms, into a highly automated science-bioinformatics-IT workflow. This system, which took over 200 person-years to develop, is robust, stable, proprietary and industrialized.
The company’s genotyping laboratory has a capacity of over 4 billion analyses per month, one of the world’s highest throughputs, with accuracy and repeatability routinely exceeding 99.9%.