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[Press Release]Theragen Bio to participate in the 'Korean Chip Genome Information Production Project' led by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

마케팅커뮤니케이션2022-06-07Hit 1625

 

■ Since 2019, Theragen Bio has participated in the "Korean Chip Genome Information Production Project" and was selected for the project this time, following the evaluation as the best research institution in 2021, recognizing its capability of DTC mass analysis.


■ In the future, the use of Korean data chips is expected to be applied to research on rare and chronic diseases in Korean individuals.


Global genome analysis service and AI-based new drug development company, Theragen Bio (CEO: Samuel Hwang), announced on the 7th that it will begin mass production of the pilot chips for the Korean chip 2.0 development project, which is being developed by the Genome Research Technology Development Department at the National Institute of Health. The project, which aims to increase the practicality of precision medical research through the development of the Korean chip 2.0 after commercialization through technology transfer of the Korean chip (version 1.1) in 2018, is scheduled to be carried out until the end of this year.


The 'Korean Chip 2.0 Pilot Chip Genomic Information Production Project' being carried out by Theragen Bio is a project organized by the Future Medical Research Technology Development Division of the Korea National Institute of Health (KNIH), under the auspices of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). The KNIH has been working to overcome the limitations of DNA chips designed primarily for Western populations in genome analysis by developing chips optimized for Koreans and developed the Korean Chip 1.0 in 2015.


The currently under development Korean Chip (KBAv2.0) aims to be a next-generation chip that includes over 2 million clinically relevant markers representing the Korean genome. Its feature is the ability to screen for more information at once than conventional genome chips. In contrast to NGS analysis, which has limitations in chronic disease genome research requiring the analysis of tens of thousands of samples for diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes due to its high cost, the upgraded Korean Chip is expected to be utilized for building a genetic information database for chronic and rare disease patients, as well as facilitating the discovery of unique mutations specific to Koreans.


Samuel Hwang, CEO of Theragen Bio, said, "Theragen Bio has been recognized for its mass production capabilities through the Korean Chip-based Genome-wide Association Study (GWAS) project using the Korean Chip developed by the National Institute of Health, and has been selected for the pilot chip genome information production project for the development of the next-generation Korean Chip." He also stated, "We will continue to contribute to the activation of genetic research on Koreans, which is at the forefront globally, and make continuous efforts to overcome chronic diseases among Koreans."

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