Sirius collaborates with Golden Helix to advance diagnostic pipeline

Oct 13 2010

Sirius Genomics, a developer of companion diagnostics, and Golden Helix, a global leader in genetic analysis solutions, announced today a collaboration under which Golden Helix will apply its expertise and technologies in SNP and copy number variant analysis and predictive modeling to advance development of Sirius' diagnostic pipeline.

Under this agreement, Sirius and Golden Helix are working together to develop a diagnostic to identify individuals who respond favorably to Vasopressin and similar compounds used in the treatment of septic shock and related conditions.

Septic shock occurs when sepsis (a severe infection spread via the bloodstream, characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state) leads to life-threatening low blood pressure. According to the US CDC, septic shock is the 13th leading cause of death in the United States, and the number one cause of deaths in intensive care units. Though the standard of care for addressing septic shock is intravenous norepinephrine, the mortality rate from septic shock remains approximately 50%.

"Golden Helix is an ideal partner for Sirius Genomics' pipeline development, providing us with access to significant expertise in GWAS analysis and bioinformatics capabilities. The combination of our funding from the National Research Council of Canada and this partnership with Golden Helix enables us to focus our strengths in discovery and development on our pipeline of companion diagnostic programs, and focus on improving outcomes in critical care medicine," stated Chris Wagner, president and CEO of Sirius Genomics.

"Advances in genomic technologies are making personalized medicine a reality for many conditions," said Dr. Christophe Lambert, president and CEO of Golden Helix. "However, developing the molecular diagnostics that are fundamental to personalized medicine requires unique capabilities. Our partnership with Sirius brings those capabilities together, and we are excited about what will come of it."