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UK to Be Part of European Plan to Sequence One Million Genomes

on Wednesday, 08 August 2018.

As the UK's 100,000 Genomes project progresses rapidly towards its projected conclusion this year, another genomics project involving the UK has been announced.

There are plans to sequence more than one million genomes from 13 European countries: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK. This will link ongoing genomic medicine initiatives.

The 13 countries have signed a declaration stating their aim to deliver more targeted prevention, earlier diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The countries will seek to maximise the benefits of the programme, while remaining committed to taking appropriate measures to protect the privacy of data donors.

The access to the shared genomic data would enable targeted research and innovation, as well as efficient translation of the research into clinical settings, leading to more effective and personalised therapies for patients.

Comment

There is great excitement about what can be achieved in the future through genomics and personalised medicine. Personalised medicine is an exciting revolution that we are witnessing being developed now, with the UK being right at the forefront. Involvement in this latest project underscores that. This has to be positive for the future of the life sciences sector in the UK and recent sector strategy reports rightly highlight these opportunities.

A recurring theme is the need to work hand-in-hand with big data to unlock the knowledge arising out of the 100,000 Genomes project. We await seeing just how much benefit can be derived from this exciting new approach by maximising the use of data. A House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee report on Genomics and Genome Editing in the NHS has said that genomic medicine can potentially transform the NHS with the UK being a world-leader in the field; however, issues around digital infrastructure, staff training and ethical concerns over the collection and use of patient data risk making the planned NHS Genomic Medicine Service unable to deliver upon this potential.


If you have any thoughts about the impact of genomics and personalised medicine, please share them with me and contact Paul Gershlick in our Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences team on 01923 919 320.

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