Indian DNA Bank -- Serving genomics research worldwide

New Jersey, USA and New Delhi, India based IuVita, a privately held genomic research company, today announced that it will be building a first ever DNA Bank of Indian population to serve needs of genomic research communities in India and abroad.

(PRWEB) September 29, 2004 -- New Jersey, USA and New Delhi, India based IuVita, a privately held genomic research company, today announced that it will be building a first ever DNA Bank of Indian population to serve needs of genomic research communities in India and abroad. IuVita will be conducting several clinical trials in next 18 months to build a DNA repository and Genomic data bank, to be used for future genomic research.

The Human Genome Project ended in 2003 with the completion of the human genetic sequence. This has triggered a new wave of genomic discoveries and innovations around the world. All major pharmaceutical companies are exploring the science of Pharmacogenomics.

Pharmacogenomics is a science that examines the inherited variations in genes that dictate drug response and explores the ways these variations can be used to predict whether a patient will have a good, bad or no response to a drug.

There is a race to catalog as many of the genetic variations found within the human genome as possible. These variations, or SNPs (pronounced "snips")(Single Nucleotide Polymorphism), as they are commonly called, can be used as a diagnostic tool to predict a person's drug response. For SNPs to be used in this way, a person's DNA must be examined (sequenced) for the presence of specific SNPs.

India offers a large patient population with genomic diversity and we are planning to capture that at one place" said Shivani Sharma, CEO and co-founder of IuVita.

IuVita will be conducting several clinical trials, based on IEC (Independent Ethics Committee) approved protocols, to collect blood samples from a wide range of patient population with detailed medical and family history. Informed consent will be obtained prior to sample collection from every patient. After collection, DNA will be extracted, purified and stored for further genomic analysis.

IuVita will fund its initial activities through private funding and will seek future collaborations with Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies to expand its operations.

About IuVita
IuVita was incorporated with a vision to focus on bringing best industry practices and technology to collection, processing and banking of bio-specimens for genomics research. IuVita is a privately funded company with offices in New Jersey, USA and New Delhi, India. IuVita has developed a proprietary technology platform to conduct genomic clinical trials, manage bio-specimen collection, manage subject consent and manage genomic data.
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