TORONTO, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - ChondroGene Limited announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the Division of Research of the Permanente Medical Group of Northern California, to jointly develop a research database infrastructure that will be used for genomic research. The Permanente Medical Group of Northern California is one of eight multi-specialty physician groups that are part of Kaiser Permanente, America’s leading integrated health care organization with over 8.3 million members in nine states.
When developed, the genomic database will serve as a repository of clinical information generated by Kaiser Permanente researchers for evaluating assays that use ChondroGene’s proprietary Sentinel Principle. The principal objectives of the database when implemented are to standardize and achieve consistency in the format of data for future studies. This common format will also facilitate the testing of biospecimens at ChondroGene, as agreed upon by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and ChondroGene. The proposed project will draw from Kaiser Permanente researchers’ experience in conducting clinical research and managing clinical information, to produce a robust database that will allow Kaiser Permanente researchers to capture, store, retrieve and analyze a broad range of clinical information.
ChondroGene’s Sentinel Principle is a unique approach to the diagnosis and staging of disease. If these studies demonstrate that ChondroGene assays are more accurate than traditional assays for certain diseases, they may have a significant impact on the diagnosis and management of those diseases.
“Kaiser is widely recognized as a leader in the delivery of timely, quality health care. The development of this database will help expedite collaborations between Kaiser and ChondroGene researchers and will assist in collecting, storing, and analyzing data generated by the application of the Sentinel Principle to a variety of diseases,” stated K. Wayne Marshall, MD, PhD, President and CEO of ChondroGene. “We see this as the beginning of a long term mutually beneficial research relationship, in which Kaiser Permanente researchers will be able to employ ChondroGene assays for selected research studies.”
About the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
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Kaiser Permanente is America’s leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, California. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of 8.3 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups.
Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 140,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and more than 11,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more information, go to www.kaiserpermanente.org or contact: Kevin McCormack, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, 510-891-3173, Kevin.d.mccormack@kp.org.
About ChondroGene
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ChondroGene is focussed on the application of functional genomics to enable early diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention based on disease-specific biomarkers. The Company has developed a novel approach, the Sentinel Principle, to detect and stage virtually any disease or medical condition from a simple blood sample. ChondroGene is currently applying the Sentinel Principle in major areas with unmet clinical needs such as cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders. For more information on ChondroGene, visit www.chondrogene.com.
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ChondroGene Limited
CONTACT: Dr. K. Wayne Marshall, President & CEO, (416) 650-0060 x234,wmarshall@chondrogene.com; Bruno Maruzzo, Corporate Development, (416)650-0060 x237, bmaruzzo@chondrogene.com
