MACROGEN And National Cancer Center Korea Sign Business Agreement For Joint Research Into Genome Information-Based Precision Medicine With Cancer Patients

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The precision medicine biotechnology enterprise Macrogen (CEO Hyeon-yong Jeong, www.macrogen.com/) (KOSDAQ:038290) announced that it has made a business agreement with the National Cancer Center Korea (President Kang-hyun Lee, http://www.ncc.re.kr/) for joint research into genome information-based precision medicine with cancer patients.

“I am pleased to be able to cooperate with the National Cancer Center, a leading institution in the field of cancer treatment, for the realization of genome information-based precision medicine.”

According to the agreement, Macrogen and the National Cancer Center Korea plan to organize a cooperative TFT for joint research into genome information-based diagnosis and treatment methods for cancers and rare diseases in order to construct a base for utilization of the genome and medicinal information, and medical treatment information owned by individual institutions, and organize and operate cohorts for the joint research. In addition, Macrogen and the National Cancer Center Korea also plan to continuously cooperate with each other for clinical application of precision medicine services through studies of measures to provide those services.

President Kang-hyun Lee of the National Cancer Center Korea said, “Through this agreement, the two institutions will share the vision of conquering cancers as best partners for joint research into precision medicine and continue various kinds of research and development for the provision of personalized health care and technology exchanges, thereby doing the two institutions’ best to advance cancer conquest through precision medicine.”

Chairman Jeong-seon Seo of Macrogen stated, “I am pleased to be able to cooperate with the National Cancer Center, a leading institution in the field of cancer treatment, for the realization of genome information-based precision medicine.” He added, “I expect that the two institutions will realize personalized medicine as partners for future development to provide high quality services to patients suffering from cancers or rare diseases, thereby contributing to the improvement of our society into a healthy society.”

The National Cancer Center Korea, which is a mecca of state-of-the-art cancer treatment and cancer studies, is faithfully playing its roles as a national cancer conquering institution through fusion and practicalization-centered reinforcement of research capacity and the establishment of an international graduate school specializing in cancer. In particular, through exchanges and cooperation with domestic and overseas major institutions specializing in cancer such as the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the National Cancer Center is making efforts to reduce cancer mortality rates and incidence rates and improve the quality of life of cancer patients at the global level.

Meanwhile, Macrogen made a memorandum of understanding with Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in May 2015 for mutual cooperation for joint research into genome information-based precision medicine and has been conducting not only joint research into cancers but also various kinds of joint research with the department of obstetrics and gynecology and the department of pediatrics.

In addition, Macrogen made a business agreement with Korea University Anam Hospital last March for joint research for the implementation of genetic information-based precision medicine and commercialization of the precision medicine and plans to provide personalized treatment based on personal genome and treatment information and personalized predictive health care services integrated with proactive health care based on health, living environment, and habit information.

Macrogen is currently building the “Macrogen Global Precision Medicine Center Network” by establishing precision medicine centers in individual institutions for various kinds of joint research and commercialization in cooperation with other major domestic and foreign medical institutions. Since 2010, Macrogen has also been implementing the “Asian Genome Project” jointly with the Genome Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, Seoul National University. Macrogen plans to complete a DB of genome information for 10,000 northern Asians secured through the foregoing project within this year. In addition, Macrogen is actively participating in the “GenomeAsia 100K Initiative” established last February. The GenomeAsia 100K Initiative is promoting a large-scale project in which 12 South Asian countries and seven Northeast Asian countries participate to analyze genome information for 100,000 Asians for three years hereafter.