In an Aug. 12, 2010 article titled, “What lies within. The personal genetic testing industry is under fire, but happier days lie ahead,”  The Economist quotes Dr. Eric Topol, STSI’s Director, as estimating that only about 100,000 people have paid for these tests. To read the article: http://www.economist.com/realarticleid.cfm?redirect_id=16791936

Dr. Eric Topol’s commentary, “Pharmacy Benefit Managers, Pharmacies, and Pharmacogenomic Testing: Prescription for Progress?”, in the Aug. 11, 2010 issue of Science Translational Medicine,
generated several news articles as well as a San Diego Union Tribune essay by the STSI Director. Below are links to the essay and several news articles:

“Docs falling behind in race to help patients with genetics,” San Diego Union Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/11/docs-falling-behind-race-help-patients-genetics/

“Drug Managers Medco, CVS Caremark Giving Gene Tests to Millions in U.S.,” Bloomberg:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-11/drug-managers-medco-cvs-giving-gene-tests-to-millions-in-u-s-.html

“Q&A: Eric Topol on How PBMs Are Driving PGx Testing Adoption in Place of Docs,” Pharmacogenomics Reporter:
http://www.genomeweb.com//node/947213?hq_e=el&hq_m=785285&hq_l=4&hq_v=dda276c36b

Sanofi-aventis and Scripps Genomic Medicine, a division of Scripps Health, announced a strategic alliance to advance research and development initiatives in the field of individualized medicine.

“Our alliance with sanofi-aventis exemplifies the ideal collaboration between the pharmaceutical industry and non-profit research community,” said Dr. Eric Topol, Chief Academic Officer of Scripps Health.  “The partnership aims to foster an environment of open scientific exchange in genomic medicine that we hope will translate to new discoveries to benefit patients while establishing a collaborative approach to drug development.”

Under the terms of the alliance, sanofi-aventis Recherche & Developpement, a subsidiary of sanofi-aventis Group, will fund up to three Discovery Innovation Grants per year, which is intended to offer flexible financing for innovative research proposals from Scripps investigators. In turn, sanofi-aventis will be granted non-exclusive rights to any research tools developed through these grants, as well as preferred access to Scripps laboratory facilities for work conducted in support of sponsored research agreements and technologies or discoveries in the field of personalized medicine.  Additionally, through ongoing scientific exchange and collaboration including an Annual Research Symposium jointly organized by sanofi-aventis and Scripps, sanofi-aventis will have access to Scripps research programs that can contribute to the company’s priority areas.

“Our alliance with Scripps underscores sanofi-aventis’ commitment to collaborating with a range of innovative partners focused on cutting-edge scientific research and development initiatives,” said Marc Cluzel, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice-President, Research & Development, sanofi-aventis. “Personalized medicine, particularly the application of genomics, has the potential to vastly improve patient health.  This partnership seeks to significantly enhance our research activities in this important field.”

About sanofi-aventis:
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT : SAN) and in New York (NYSE : SNY). For more information, visit: http://www.sanofi-aventis.us or http://www.sanofi-aventis.com.

About sanofi-aventis, U.S.:
Sanofi-aventis U.S. is an affiliate of sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to help improve the lives of patients. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE:SNY) . For more information, http://www.sanofi-aventis.us or http://www.sanofi-aventis.com.

About Scripps Health:
Founded in 1924 by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, Scripps Health is a $2.2 billion, private not-for-profit community health system based in San Diego, Calif. Scripps treats a half-million patients annually through the dedication of 2,500 affiliated physicians and 13,000 employees among its five acute-care hospital campuses, home health care services, and ambulatory care network of physician offices and 19 outpatient centers and clinics.  More information can be found at http://www.scripps.org.

Below are links to several news articles about this announcement:

CNBC:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/38641870/

Fox Business:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/08/10/sanofi-aventis-scripps-health-partner-advance-research/

Associated Press:
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/breaking/sanofi-aventis-scripps-health-genomic-unit-partner-on-research-to-boost-personalized-medicine-100354899.html

GenomeWeb Daily News:
http://www.genomeweb.com/dxpgx/sanofi-aventis-scripps-genomic-medicine-enter-personalized-medicine-alliance

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News:
http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/sanofi-aventis-to-fund-personalized-medicine-grants-for-scripps-researchers/81243774/

San Diego Union Tribune:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/10/scripps-gets-grants-study-personalized-medicine/

To view the segment, visit:  http://video.foxbusiness.com/#/v/4300286/qualcomm-to-produce-wearable-wireless-health-devices/?playlist_id=87247

The introduction to the TV network’s “American Icon” series is posted at:  http://video.foxbusiness.com/#/v/4300141/qualcomms-impact-on-cell-phone-industry/?playlist_id=87185

For more information about Dr. Topol’s vision for wireless health, you may want to view this video of his TEDMED 2009 presentation:
http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_topol_the_wireless_future_of_medicine.html •

“Eric��(tm)s wealth of knowledge in translational medicine and the burgeoning area of wireless technology add a valuable dimension to our board,” said David Gollaher, Ph.D., CHI��(tm)s president and CEO, “and we are pleased to welcome back to our board Genentech, the oldest biotech company, with the addition of Steve, who orchestrated the largest biotech merger in history.”

Before joining Scripps, Topol served on the faculty of Case Western as a professor in genetics, chaired the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic for 15 years and raised its status to rank first by U.S. News and World Report for 11 consecutive years, and founded the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. His work in the genomics of heart attack has led to discovery of key genes recognized by the American Heart Association top 10 research advances in 2002 and 2004.

As a leader in clinical trials of novel therapeutics, he administered recombinant t-PA to the first patient in 1984, pioneered and led the clinical development of clopidogrel (Plavix), bivalirudin (Angiomax), and abciximab (ReoPro). He has more than 1,000 original peer reviewed publications, and has edited more than 30 books, including the Textbook of Interventional Cardiology (fifth edition), and the Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine (third edition).

He has been a medical innovator in wireless medicine, including wireless ECG, vital signs, remote monitoring for heart failure, and as co-founder and Vice Chairman of the Gary & Mary West Wireless Health Institute.
Topol has been elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association of Physicians and recognized by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) to be in the top 10 cited biomedical researchers in medicine in the past decade.

Steve Krognes is senior vice president and regional head, Finance and IT, and chief financial officer, Pharma North America at Genentech. In this role, he is responsible for Genentech��(tm)s Finance and Information Technology groups. He also serves on the Genentech Executive Committee. Krognes joined Roche in January 2004 as global head of Mergers and Acquisitions. In this role, he led Roche��(tm)s internal Mergers and Acquisitions group and was responsible for all Roche transactions worldwide. Prior to joining Roche, Krognes worked as a venture capitalist in Scandinavia, as a mergers and acquisitions investment banker with Goldman Sachs and Danske Bank, and as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. Krognes holds a master��(tm)s in business administration from the Harvard Business School and a bachelor��(tm)s in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a second lieutenant in the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

About CHI

CHI represents more than 275 leading biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics, and pharmaceutical companies, and public and private academic biomedical research organizations. CHI��(tm)s mission is to advance responsible public policies that foster medical innovation and promote scientific discovery. CHI��(tm)s Web site is chi.org.

Laboratory researchers from Scripps Genomic Medicine, Drs. Samuel Levy and Sarah Shaw Murray study a broad variety of genes associated with disease and health. Recently in the San Diego Union-Tribune their laboratories were featured in an article describing the costs of operating a research lab.

Much of their work focuses on heart disease, cancer, diabetes and healthy aging. Their efforts recently helped lead Scripps Green Hospital to become the first medical center of its kind in the country to routinely screen coronary stent patients for gene variants that can hurt a person(tm)s ability to metabolize Plavix, an anti-clotting drug. Such testing is used to guide patient care.

Dr. Levy was the lead scientist on the sequencing of the complete genome of famed geneticist J. Craig Venter.
Dr. Murray came from San Diego-based Illumina, where she helped improve ways to conduct large-scale genetic studies.

Union-Tribune featured article on Laboratory Costs - Scripps Genomic Medicine

SAN DIEGO - To continue to center innovation at the forefront of the state’s economic recovery and position the state for long term economic prosperity, Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED) Director Joel Ayala today announced the designation of San Diego as the latest state-certified Innovation Hub (iHub). The iHub Initiative, which already boasts six regional hubs, seeks to advance the state’s national and global economic competitiveness by stimulating regional partnerships, economic development and job creation around research clusters.

“As a leader in developing new technologies, California will reap tremendous economic rewards through this critical Innovation Hub Initiative,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Regional iHubs promote business creation and research and investment in the public and private sector, and this, in turn, promotes California’s world renowned high-tech economy and ensures the state continues to lead in future industries.”

Launched in March 2010, Governor Schwarzenegger’s iHub Initiative provides a platform for research clusters, startup companies, government entities, business groups and venture capitalists by leveraging assets such as research parks, technology incubators, universities, and federal laboratories to foster innovation and job creation statewide. For decades, San Diego’s research corridor has served as a springboard for technological and entrepreneurial business development that helps generate and transform innovative ideas into viable products and companies. The experience San Diego will bring to the table as a flourishing iHub is expected to be a tremendous asset to the statewide network.

The San Diego iHub focused on the convergence of three clusters: mobile health, biofuels, and solar energy and energy storage. They will join the six existing iHubs including i-GATE in Livermore, OCTANe in Orange County, the Greater Mission Bay Area iHub in San Francisco, Sacramento iHub, the North Bay iHub in Rohnert Park, and the Coachella Valley iHub in the Western Coachella Valley and Greater Palm Springs. 

“For years, the San Diego innovation economy has proven to be very effective in leveraging the region’s geographic, research and workforce strengths to support business creation and innovation,” stated GoED Director Ayala. “San Diego’s participation in this forward-thinking initiative strengthens the state’s innovation network and positions the region for further growth in the national and global arenas.”

To learn more about the iHub initiative or the designees visit: GoED Website

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED) was launched by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to help stimulate and facilitate economic growth across the state. GoEd serves as a one-stop shop for business needs and can offer assistance, resources, and other tools to assist with the creation, expansion and retention of businesses. GoED’s mission is to make it easier to do business in the state. 

SD iHUB Partners List

In the attached article Dr. Eric Topol, Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, was quoted in a discussion regarding Genome Wide Association studies (GWAS) findings in recent years.
Science12201_-_GWAS_June_2010.pdf

Excerpt from the interview
“According to one physician and early-adopter in the personalized medicine space, his colleagues just need to be reminded why they got into medicine in the first place, and the intellectual challenge of genomic medicine itself can reignite that spark. Earlier this year, Eric Topol, the director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, received a grant from Life Technologies Foundation to create an online educational program to credential doctors in genomics.”

Looking at the Future of Genomic Medicine: An Expert Interview With Eric J. Topol, MD
Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhD
March 17, 2010 - Editor’s note: For the past 3 years, Scripps Translational Science Institute has held a conference/course unlike other genomics meetings in its equal appeal to and representation by both clinicians and researchers. This year, the program focused on 4 areas of genomic medicine in which the planners saw the most exciting work going on and sensed changes afoot.
Medscape: With all the talk about personalized medicine, do you foresee that in 10 years, 50 years, everyone will have an electronic medical record that will show the medicines they should get and the diseases they’re likely to develop? Or will it just be for the rich and famous?
Dr. Topol: No, no, this is not just for the rich and famous. One company, Pacific BioScience, is now saying they can do it soon for $1000, whole-genome sequencing in 15 minutes! That was in the Wall Street Journal. I think it’s going to be doable someday, but it is not going to be next year. We’re already down to $5000 to $6000 for whole-genome sequencing in 2010, and it’s just a matter of time until it does get down to that level. When you have the whole-genome sequence, there are still missing pieces, like the methylome, the metabolome, and the proteome. You have so much vital information to help individualize that person’s health story and preserve their health and prevent diseases, prevent untoward reactions to drugs - it just changes everything.

Looking at the Future of Genomic Medicine: An Expert Interview With Nicholas J. Schork, PhD
Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhD
March 24, 2010 - Editor’s note: Genomic research into infectious disease susceptibility is especially complex because at least 2 genomes must be taken into consideration that of the host and that of the microorganism. Infections from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other pathogens primarily reflect the genomics of the agent; on the more positive side, studies of the human microbiome suggest a delicate, often beneficial, balance between microorganisms and the human bodies they inhabit.
Medscape: The first whole-genome sequences were sort of proof of principle, but what is being found out from the ones that are being done now?
Dr. Schork: Now with whole-genome sequencing, you can sequence the heritable genome, your germ-line genome, and compare it with what is in your somatic cells, like cancer cells. Elaine Mardis [PhD, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri], for example, described studies she’s involved in where she has taken people’s tumors, sequenced the genomes in those tumors in their entirety, and then sequenced their germ-line DNA. She could then identify variations that were not inherited but were present in the cancer, and those mutations must have arisen during somatic cell replication and contributed to tumorigenesis. That is an amazing kind of thing, and now it’s a reality.

Looking at the Future of Genomic Medicine: An Expert Interview With Sarah S. Murray, PhD
Jacquelyn K. Beals, PhD
March 23, 2010 - Editor’s note: Current genetics research has identified several “canonical” pathways that influence aging. These involve dietary restriction, insulin signaling, and mitochondrial energy processes. This past fall, through a series of events they describe as serendipitous, researchers realized that the homolog of Drosophila gene 4E-BP, which extends lifespan in fruit flies, is a significant gene at a choke-point of 3 pathways influencing human lifespan.
Medscape: Where do you think it’s going to go from here? Are people looking for human applications, other than telling people “don’t eat too much and control your blood sugar”?
Dr. Murray: People don’t want to know that they should cut back on calories. Where it goes from here [depends on whether] we can really start to understand what is unique to a healthy aging population, what we call “wellderly”. I think what all this helps with is gaining insight in biology. If we can start to understand what is unique to [the wellderly] how this is influencing the whole healthy aging process then the ultimate goal is to be able to target that for interventional therapeutics. We think that in other people, who may not be naturally protected by these great protective factors, somehow you could help prevent the onset of disease by targeting these pathways.