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Perlegen Sciences to Analyze Genetics of Common Diseases in Postmenopausal Women; Collaboration With Women's Health Initiative Funded By the National Institutes of Health

Posted on: Thursday, 30 June 2005, 09:00 CDT

Perlegen Sciences, Inc. announced today that it is conducting a high density whole genome scan of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in relation to coronary heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, and combined postmenopausal hormone therapy in collaboration with the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). The study aims to provide greater insight into the genetic contribution to these three chronic diseases, each a major cause of death, disability and frailty among postmenopausal women of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds, and to relate these findings to the effects of estrogen plus progestin (E+P) therapy.

WHI, with funding support from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, will collaborate with Perlegen to conduct a comparative study of genetic variation in patients with coronary heart disease, stroke or breast cancer versus matched, unaffected controls. The genetic variations, or SNPs, will be genotyped initially in selected cases and controls from the Observational Study (OS) arm of the WHI study. Preliminary validation of these results will be conducted in a separate set of cases and controls from the same OS cohort, and a final validation and replication will also focus on the interactions of the disease-associated SNPs with the combined estrogen plus progestin (E+P) therapy in samples from the randomized controlled clinical trial cohort (CT).

The multi-million dollar, 15-year WHI project involved 161,808 women aged 50-79, and was one of the most definitive, far reaching clinical trials of women's health ever undertaken in the U.S. The WHI Clinical Trial and Observational Study attempted to address many of the inequities in women's health research and provide practical information to women and their physicians about hormone therapy, dietary patterns and calcium/vitamin D supplements, and their effects on the prevention of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

"We are excited to be collaborating with the investigators of the Women's Health Initiative on this important study regarding the genetics of women's health. They have collected DNA samples from women in these extremely well-characterized cohorts which will enable us to better understand the genetics of these diseases in women," stated David R. Cox, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Perlegen Sciences.

The WHI, a long-term national health study consisting of well-characterized large cohorts, is perfectly suited for use with Perlegen's unique high-throughput technology to identify trait-associated loci and correlate these to effects of combined hormone therapy in relation to heart disease, breast cancer and stroke in postmenopausal women. This study has the potential to identify new biological pathways for therapeutic development in these diseases and may lead to new diagnostics for disease susceptibility screening and prevention among postmenopausal women.

"We are looking forward to applying Perlegen's high density whole genome association study capabilities to these samples to help us better understand the genetics of these diseases and the interactions of genotype with postmenopausal hormone treatment in women," stated Ross L. Prentice, Ph.D., the Principal Investigator of the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Coordinating Center located at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington.

"We are very pleased to be supporting this research to help better understand the genetic component of these diseases and the effects of hormone therapy in post menopausal women," said Jacques Rossouw, M.D., Project Officer of the WHI.

About the Women's Health Initiative

The WHI was initiated in 1992 to identify practical ways to reduce morbidity and mortality among postmenopausal women. It includes a multifaceted clinical trial among 68132 women seen at 40 Clinical centers in the United States. One component of this trial among 16608 women was stopped early in 2002 when it was determined that health risks of estrogen plus progestin exceeded benefits over a 5.6 year study period. Another component concluded in 2004 that health benefits and risks were more balanced for estrogen alone. Other clinical trial components, concerned with a low fat eating pattern and calcium and vitamin D supplementation, will report principal results in 2006. The WHI also includes a valuable cohort study among 93676 women that aims to generate new knowledge about risk factors for a broad range of diseases. The WHI is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in collaboration with several other components of the National Institutes of Health.

About Perlegen Sciences

Perlegen Sciences, Inc. is working to provide safe and effective medicines to the world. The company quickly and cost effectively analyzes millions of genetic variations in DNA samples obtained from clinical trial participants. This information is used to explain and predict the efficacy and adverse effect profiles of prescription drugs. Perlegen also applies this expertise to discovering genetic variations associated with disease for potential new therapeutics and diagnostics. For years, scientists and drug manufacturers have been eager to comprehensively examine entire genomes; through Perlegen, this is now possible. Perlegen is able to bring drugs to the market wherein clinical development could have been otherwise discontinued.

Based in Mountain View, California, Perlegen was formed in late 2000 as a spin-off from Affymetrix, Inc. (Nasdaq:AFFX). For more information about the company and its technologies, visit Perlegen's website at www.perlegen.com. Perlegen Sciences, Perlegen, and the Perlegen logo are trademarks of Perlegen Sciences, Inc.

Source: Business Wire

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