Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - April 2010 - (Page 9)

Unravelling the human genome While sequencing a single human genome is a scientific curiosity, the scientific community needs to sequence thousands of complete genomes to obtain real transformational insights into the genetic basis of human disease, including cancer. Previously, human genome sequencing was simply too complex and expensive for scientists to conduct large-scale human disease studies; however, this has begun to change. We expect this research phase of human genome sequencing to last for a few years. By then, the medical research community will know enough about the genetic characteristics of specific diseases to be able to develop targeted diagnostics, including improved cancer diagnostics, personalised drug regimens, better treatment options and, ultimately, improve healthcare outcomes. Why do sequencing costs keep falling? The cost of complete human genome sequencing has decreased dramatically over the past two decades. The Human Genome Project sequenced the first human genome in 2000 for about $2 billion. Then, Dr J. Craig Venter and his team completed the first commercial company-sponsored sequencing of a human genome for about $100 million. Over the following 6 years, the cost of human genome sequencing dropped steadily in line with Moore’s Law, which states that performance doubles every 18 months. This is a natural progression as a technology, in this case capillary electrophoresis, gets steadily better through higher volumes and lower costs. Then in 2006, the world changed; instead of sequencing costs coming down by a factor of two every 18 months, they began dropping by a factor of 10 every year. This dramatic transition was caused by two factors: the natural organic improvement of technology and the leapfrogging of a series of disconnected technologies over each other. Improvements in the seemingly disparate technologies were, in part, driven by the venture capital community looking at the relatively slow progress of human genome sequencing and identifying a market opportunity. This realisation resulted in the injection of approximately $1 billion of risk capital into improving the state-of-the-art sequencing technology, which led to a series of new companies entering the market. Each technology is now, once again, following a Moore’s Law-like improvement cost curve. But the cost of consumables — the reagents, chemicals, and chips used in the sequencing process — continues to drop even faster; getting extremely close to zero. The cost of sequencing will continue to decrease until the price of consumables essentially reaches zero. Eventually it will cost $1000 to sequence a complete human genome, but that is going to take a few years. PTE Based on a contribution by Dr Clifford Reid, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Complete Genomics. To read the full version of this article, go to www.pharmtech.com/reid www.completegenomics.com 1 CONTENTS 9 THE HUMAN GENOME 2 INTRODUCTION 11 CANCER THERAPY UPDATE 5 MORE THAN SCIENCE NEEDED 14 MANUFACTURING CHALLENGES 7 FUTURE SNP MARKET 16 TOP TECHNOLOGIES http://www.pharmtech.com/reid http://www.completegenomics.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - April 2010

Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - April 2010
Table of Contents
Why Personalised Medicine Business Models will Require Long-Term Strategies and Great Flexibility in Order to be Successful
Science Alone Will Not Lead to Better Medicines
The Current and Future Market for SNPs
The Hype, Hope and Reality of Pharmacogenetic Tests
Unraveling the Human Genome
Progress in Molecular Diagnostics
Personalising Cancer Therapy
T Cells for Patient-Specific Cancer Treatments
Future Research Strategies for Glucocorticoid Therapy
Overcoming Manufacturing and Financial Challenges of Personalised Cell Therapies
Public-Private Partnerships Prosper
Eight Latest Technologies Showcased

Pharmaceutical Technology Europe - April 2010