15 July 2019 - - US-based biopharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD) and US-based healthcare network the Renown Institute for Health Innovation have forged a strategic collaboration to collect and analyse genetic and electronic health data that can enhance the understanding of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and potentially inform development of treatment options for the disease, the principals said.
Under the terms of the collaboration and license agreement, Gilead will provide funding to Renown IHI to sequence and analyze the DNA of 15,000 individuals living with NASH or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as a control cohort of 40,000 individuals in Nevada.
Renown Health is Nevada's most comprehensive and integrated healthcare network and maintains electronic health records for 1.02m registered patients.
In 2016, Renown Health and the Desert Research Institute established the Healthy Nevada Project, the nation's first community-based population health study.
In 2017 HNP began a partnership with Helix to leverage its population health services, Exome+ sequencing, and consumer engagement tools.
The HNP is now an ongoing collaboration between Renown IHI, the Desert Research Institute, a leader in environmental data and applied research, and Helix, a personal genomics company.
HNP combines genetic, environmental, social and clinical data to address individual and community health needs with the goal of improving health across the state and the nation. The HNP currently has 40,000 participants.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is a chronic form of liver disease characterized by excess fat in the liver, inflammation, and liver cell damage. Inflammation and liver cell damage can cause scarring of the liver, or fibrosis, and ultimately lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. NASH is more common in people with certain conditions, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
There are currently limited approved treatments for patients living with NASH.
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need.
The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California.
Renown Health is a locally governed and locally owned, not-for-profit integrated healthcare network serving Nevada, Lake Tahoe and northeast California.
It is one of the region's largest private employers with a workforce of more than 7,000. It comprises three acute care hospitals, a rehabilitation hospital, the area's most comprehensive medical group and urgent care network, and the region's largest and only locally owned not-for-profit insurance company, Hometown Health.
Renown Health's commitment has extended beyond traditional health care to include community health and well-being. Renown Health works to improve health care through science, research and genetics; forge community partnerships that improve lives and develop innovative models that are improving health care in Nevada.
Helix's mission is to empower every person to improve their life through DNA. Helix is accelerating the integration of genomic data into clinical care and broadening the impact of large-scale population health programs by providing comprehensive expertise in DNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and individual engagement.
Powered by their proprietary Exome+ assay, a panel-grade exome enhanced by more than 300,000 informative non-coding regions, Helix offers health systems a scalable solution which enables the discovery of medically relevant, potentially life-saving, genetic information.
Additionally, Helix offers a suite of DNA-powered products for continued individual engagement and discovery.
Helix is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and has one of the world's largest CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited Next Generation Sequencing labs, located in San Diego, California.