Data being made available on NCI Database Could Save Drug Development Time
and Capital for Other Research Institutions
PHILADELPHIA, June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marking another
positive step in the collaborative fight against cancer, GlaxoSmithKline
(NYSE: GSK) announced today the release of genomic profiling data for over
300 cancer cell lines via the National Cancer Institute's cancer
Bioinformatics Grid(TM) (caBIG(TM)). The caBIG(TM) initiative is a network
of infrastructure and tools that enables the collection, analysis, and
sharing of data and knowledge along the entire research pathway from
laboratory bench to patient bedside. By releasing the cell line data via
caBIG(TM), GSK could be enabling other cancer research institutions to save
considerable drug development time and capital in their future cancer
therapeutic research.
"These data are valuable for many avenues of cancer research, and we
are pleased to share them with the cancer community," said Paolo Poletti,
M.D., Senior Vice President, Oncology Medicines Development Center, R&D,
GlaxoSmithKline. "Vast amounts of data are being generated in biomedical
research and in order to realize the potential benefits of molecular
medicine, scientists need to be able to access data in more timely and
cost-efficient ways. The caBIG(TM) platform is an excellent tool to do just
that."
With the advent of the human genome project, researchers have been able
to identify, aggregate and analyze cancer cell line information in the
laboratory. These breakthrough bodies of data have been used extensively in
the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics.
According to Dr. Richard Wooster, Director of Translational Medicine
Oncology, R&D, GSK, "Cataloging this type of information in a network like
caBIG(TM) leads to a ready-made body of biologic information that can be
mined by all cancer researchers to further everyone's understanding of
cancer. In turn, we hope this data will further drive the identification of
predictive biomarkers and lead to shorter, more directed clinical trials
allowing us to bring drugs more quickly to patients who need them."
The genomic data being shared by GSK through caBIG(TM) come from cell
lines derived from a wide variety of tumors, including breast, prostate,
lung and ovarian cancers. Researchers at academic institutions, small
research facilities and non-profit organizations may benefit by not having
to incur the prohibitive cost and time involved in identifying and
cataloging each cell line.
"The ability for researchers to share data via the caBIG(TM) network is
exactly what this initiative was designed to enable," said Robert Clarke,
Ph.D., D.Sc., professor of oncology and physiology and biophysics at the
Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Georgetown University Medical
Center and Georgetown University Hospital. "As more scientists throughout
the cancer community, in the US and globally, use caBIG(TM) and find it
easy to share data and collaborate, both basic and clinical research will
be improved. We're excited about what this cancer cell data might provide
to other researchers and we also hope it will be a catalyst for other
organizations to follow the GSK example."
The NCI launched the caBIG(TM) initiative in 2004 to accelerate the
research and discovery of new approaches to the detection, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of cancer. Since that time, more than 200
organizations and 1000 individuals have helped to create more than 40
biomedical research tools such as caArray, the microarray data management
system that is guiding the annotation and supporting the exchange of the
cancer cell array data provided by GSK.
Interested researchers can download this free data through caArray at
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/tools/caArray_GSKdata. caArray, like all the
tools in the caBIG(TM) suite, is free and open-source.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and live
longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at
http://www.gsk.com.
GSK in Oncology
GSK Oncology is dedicated to producing innovations in cancer that will
make profound differences in the lives of patients. Through GSK's
revolutionary "bench to bedside" approach, we are transforming the way
treatments are discovered and developed, resulting in one of the most
robust pipelines in the oncology sector. Our worldwide research in oncology
includes collaborations with more than 160 cancer centers. GSK is closing
in on cancer from all sides with a new generation of patient focused cancer
treatments in prevention, supportive care, chemotherapy and targeted
therapies.
About caBIG(TM)
The National Cancer Institute's cancer biomedical Informatics Grid(TM)
(caBIG(TM)) is an information network that enables data and knowledge to be
shared within and across organizations, scientific domains, and countries
to accelerate the discovery of new approaches for the detection, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of cancer. Cancer centers, research facilities,
and other organizations from across the country are already getting
connected with caBIG(TM), and caBIG(TM)-compatible tools and infrastructure
are being adopted throughout the cancer and biomedical community.
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/
SOURCE GlaxoSmithKline
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