Major research initiative aims to combat cancer and rare diseases
The UK is set to become the world leader in ground-breaking genetic research into cancer and rare diseases, which will transform how diseases are diagnosed and treated, thanks to a package of investment worth more than £300 million, the Prime Minister will announce today.
The 4 year project will allow scientists to do pioneering new research to decode 100,000 human genomes – a patient’s personal DNA code.
Sequencing the genome of a person with cancer or someone with a rare disease will help scientists and doctors understand how disease works. The project has the potential to transform the future of health care, with new and better tests, drugs and treatment. It is expected to provide a lifeline to thousands of families affected by rare genetic diseases and cancers.
The Prime Minister is today unveiling a new partnership between Genomics England and the company Illumina that will deliver infrastructure and expertise to turn the plan into reality. As part of this, Illumina’s services for whole genome sequencing have been secured in a deal worth around £78 million.
In turn, Illumina will invest around £162 million into the work in England over 4 years, creating new knowledge and jobs in the field of genome sequencing.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:”This agreement will see the UK lead the world in genetic research within years. I am determined to do all I can to support the health and scientific sector to unlock the power of DNA, turning an important scientific breakthrough into something that will help deliver better tests, better drugs and above all better care for patients.
“As our plan becomes a reality, I believe we will be able to transform how devastating diseases are diagnosed and treated in the NHS and across the world, while supporting our best scientists and life science businesses to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology.”
NHS England has started the process of selecting the first NHS Genomics Medicine Centres. Successful centres will help to progress this ambitious project by inviting cancer and rare disease patients to take part to have their genome sequenced. NHS England has agreed to underwrite an NHS contribution of up to £20 million over the life of the project.
The cash injection – and new partnerships – will mean excellent progress can be made on the 100,000 Genomes Project. It is expected that around 40,000 NHS patients could benefit directly from the research. Ultimately this work will pave the way for genomics-based medicine to become part of everyday practice throughout the NHS.
Participation in the project will be based on consent, and people’s data will be strictly protected through Genomics England’s secure data services.
Genetic disorders and genomics
Rare diseases are uncommon but there are between 5,000 to 8,000 known genetic disorders. Around 3 million people are affected by them, half of these are children.
When the Human Genome Project was undertaken in the early 1990s, it took 13 years and over £2 billion to sequence the first whole human genome. But now with advances in technology, the speed and cost of sequencing a human genome has fallen dramatically.
Our understanding of how to use this information has also increased. We still have a lot to learn, but these advances have opened up the potential use of genomics medicine within mainstream healthcare.
Genomics England is a wholly owned by the Department of Health. It was set up to deliver the 100,000 Genomes Project. This flagship project will sequence 100,000 whole genomes from NHS patients by 2017.
Genomics England has 4 main aims:
- to bring benefit to patients
- to create an ethical and transparent programme based on consent
- to enable new scientific discovery and medical insights
- to kickstart the development of a UK genomics industry
The project is focusing on patients with rare diseases, and their families, as well as patients with common cancers. The project is currently in its pilot phase and the main project begins in 2015.
