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VTT and Roche Diagnostics GmbH start research collaboration
21.01.2008
VTT has signed a research agreement with Roche regarding studies of one of Roche’s cancer drugs. The research will be conducted by VTT’s researchers dedicated to medical biotechnology in Turku, Finland. It may lead to the development of novel drug combinations and/or to novel predictive biomarkers.
The work will utilize VTT’s unique capabilities, such as high-throughput
screening, RNA interference, cell biology and bioinformatics. The contract is
an important continuation of VTT’s strategy towards developing collaborations
with the international pharmaceutical industry. It strengthens the aims of VTT
to develop and market its core scientific and technology capabilities in the
drug development process.
About VTT
VTT
develops novel high-throughput methods for cancer research, drug discovery and
diagnostics. The focus is in investigating mechanisms of cancer development
and progression, identification of therapeutic targets and exploration of the
mechanism of action of anti-cancer compounds. There are 85 researchers and
staff members working in VTT’s Medical Biotechnology Knowledge Centre in
Turku. The research is funded e.g. by the European Commission and the Academy
of Finland. VTT accommodates two EU Marie Curie Centre of Excellence teams and
coordinates the Academy of Finland centre of excellence for translational
genome-wide biology.
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 the
world’s biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for
the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the
Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people’s health and
quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs
for cancer and transplantation, a market leader in virology and active in
other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation,
metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2006 sales
by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 33.3 billion Swiss francs, and the
Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.7 billion Swiss francs. Roche has R&D
agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority
ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invests approximately 7
billion Swiss francs a year in R&D. Worldwide, the Group employs about 75,000
people.
For further information, please visit www.roche.com.