MedGenome Announces $10 Million Commitment to GenomeAsia 100K to Sequence 100,000 Genomes in South Asia

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Feb 12, 2016, 04:15 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, February 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

MedGenome's Commitment Will Help Accelerate Precision Medicine Efforts by Enabling Scientific Understanding of Complex Diseases Such as Cancer, Metabolic Disorders, Neurological Disorders and Rare Diseases

MedGenome, the market leader for genomic diagnostics in South Asia and a leading provider of genomics research services globally, today announced it would contribute $10 million to the GenomeAsia 100K consortium as a founding member.

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MedGenome operates the largest privately owned NGS lab in India, a country whose large population and thousands of distinct ethnic groups with a high level of genetic homogeneity provides a valuable environment for genomics research.

MedGenome's participation in GenomeAsia 100K will enable global research and scientific understanding by contributing towards building ethno-centric reference genomes for South Asia. MedGenome believes it can add significant value to this consortium by leveraging its access to varied populations in South Asia. It will assist with collection of genomic, clinical and familial data from the region. Further, its capabilities in data science and 'big-data' analytics can assist in analysis and understanding of the large data sets generated by the consortium.

"Nearly a quarter of the world's population live in South Asia whose genetics we are only now beginning to characterize," said Chief of Global Products and Services, MedGenome, Dr. Kartik Kumaramangalam. "We are excited to join GenomeAsia 100K that has a unique opportunity to make an impact not just to South Asians but to healthy living globally."

"This is the only large population sequencing initiative that is a consortium of for-profit companies and academia," said Founder and CEO, MedGenome, Sam Santhosh. "Combining academic rigor with the aggressive timelines and execution focus of for-profit companies will ensure the success of this consortium."

About MedGenome:

MedGenome (http://www.medgenome.com) is a genomics-driven research and diagnostics company with a mission to improve global health by decoding the genetic information contained in an individual's genome. Its unique access to genomics data with clinical and phenotypic data provides insights into complex diseases at the genetic and molecular level to facilitate research in personalized healthcare. MedGenome is the market leader for genetic diagnostic testing in India.

About GenomeAsia 100K:

GenomeAsia 100K is a non-profit consortium with a mission to generate genomic information for Asian populations and to promote genetic understanding of Asian populations to support research and discovery for healthy living and longevity. For more information, contact [email protected] .

Media Contact:
Hiranjith G H
Director, Corporate Affairs & Communications
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SOURCE MedGenome