Investor Update
Basel, 11 October 2005
Roche Diagnostics to co-develop IT-enabled prototype psychiatric pharmacogenomics tool
Tool will use information from Roche AmpliChip CYP450 Test
Roche announced that Roche and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, have entered into an agreement to investigate offering drug selection and dosing information for the treatment of psychiatric patients. Their first step is to co-develop a prototype IT- enabled system that will refine and harness Mayo Clinic’s extensive psychiatric and pharmacogenomic clinical expertise. The prototype system will offer drug selection and dosing information for a broad range of psychotropic therapeutics based on patient test results from Roche’s AmpliChip CYP450 Test.
“This is an important step to aid in patient care in a specific therapeutic area, especially because psychiatric care often requires the need to fine-tune therapy,” said Heino von Prondzynski, CEO Division Roche Diagnostics and Member of Roche’s Corporate Executive Committee. “Providing healthcare professionals with the information obtained by the AmpliChip CYP450 Test within this context may enable them to select the right medicine and the right dose for the individual patient.”
Psychiatric consultants at the Mayo Clinic have been able to genotype their patients for the 2D6 gene and the 2C19 gene for about two years. During that time, they have learned that patients appreciate their ability to minimize the side effects of the psychotropic medications that are prescribed. The combination of the AmpliChip CYP450 test and this new IT-tool, when available, will extend to psychiatrists across the country. This may allow practicing psychiatrists to better select and dose their patients’ drugs.
In January 2005, Roche Diagnostics announced that its first microarray-based test, the AmpliChip CYP450 Test, had been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for diagnostic use in the United States. That followed the announcement of September 2004, that the AmpliChip CYP450 Test has the CE mark (“Conformité Européene”), allowing the test to be used for diagnostic purposes in the European Union. The test, which is powered by Affymetrix microarray technology, analyses a patients Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 2C19 genotypes from genomic DNA extracted from a blood sample. Test results allow physicians to consider unique genetic information from patients in selecting medications and doses of medications for a wide variety of common conditions such as cardiac diseases, pain, and cancer.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
Additional information
- AmpliChip CYP450 Press Kit
- AmpliChip Trailer
- Roche Diagnostics
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Roche Diagnostics to co-develop IT-enabled prototype psychiatric pharmacogenomics tool
Tool will use information from Roche AmpliChip CYP450 Test
Roche announced that Roche and Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, have entered into an agreement to investigate offering drug selection and dosing information for the treatment of psychiatric patients. Their first step is to co-develop a prototype IT- enabled system that will refine and harness Mayo Clinic’s extensive psychiatric and pharmacogenomic clinical expertise. The prototype system will offer drug selection and dosing information for a broad range of psychotropic therapeutics based on patient test results from Roche’s AmpliChip CYP450 Test.
“This is an important step to aid in patient care in a specific therapeutic area, especially because psychiatric care often requires the need to fine-tune therapy,” said Heino von Prondzynski, CEO Division Roche Diagnostics and Member of Roche’s Corporate Executive Committee. “Providing healthcare professionals with the information obtained by the AmpliChip CYP450 Test within this context may enable them to select the right medicine and the right dose for the individual patient.”
Psychiatric consultants at the Mayo Clinic have been able to genotype their patients for the 2D6 gene and the 2C19 gene for about two years. During that time, they have learned that patients appreciate their ability to minimize the side effects of the psychotropic medications that are prescribed. The combination of the AmpliChip CYP450 test and this new IT-tool, when available, will extend to psychiatrists across the country. This may allow practicing psychiatrists to better select and dose their patients’ drugs.
In January 2005, Roche Diagnostics announced that its first microarray-based test, the AmpliChip CYP450 Test, had been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for diagnostic use in the United States. That followed the announcement of September 2004, that the AmpliChip CYP450 Test has the CE mark (“Conformité Européene”), allowing the test to be used for diagnostic purposes in the European Union. The test, which is powered by Affymetrix microarray technology, analyses a patients Cytochrome P450 2D6 and 2C19 genotypes from genomic DNA extracted from a blood sample. Test results allow physicians to consider unique genetic information from patients in selecting medications and doses of medications for a wide variety of common conditions such as cardiac diseases, pain, and cancer.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2004 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totalled 21.7 billion Swiss francs, while the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 7.8 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet (www.roche.com).
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law
.Additional information
- AmpliChip CYP450 Press Kit
- AmpliChip Trailer
- Roche Diagnostics
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester