In a landmark move to advance genomic research and drug discovery, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is spearheading a $320 million investment in health data specialist Truveta, with significant participation from Illumina and 17 US health systems. Regeneron's contribution of nearly $120 million represents the largest share of this Series C funding round, while Illumina has committed $20 million to the initiative.
The investment will fund the ambitious Truveta Genome Project, which aims to create an unprecedented database combining genetic and clinical information. The project will leverage Truveta's extensive platform, which currently processes daily-updated electronic medical record data from over 120 million US patients across thousands of clinical sites.
Comprehensive Genomic Sequencing Initiative
The Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC) will take the lead in conducting the genetic analysis, planning to sequence up to ten million exomes from leftover biospecimens collected during routine laboratory testing. These exomes, which represent the protein-coding regions of the genome, will be analyzed alongside detailed clinical data to create what Truveta describes as "the largest and most diverse database of genotypic and phenotypic information ever assembled."
Terry Myerson, Truveta's co-founder and chief executive, emphasized the project's potential impact: "The Truveta Genome Project enables each of us to anonymously contribute to dramatically accelerate progress in discovering the science of humanity, improving the health of our families and communities, and lowering the cost of care."
Strategic Research Rights and Applications
Under the collaboration terms, RGC has secured exclusive rights to perform all research-related sequencing on collected samples. The center will also maintain access to de-identified electronic health records from study participants, creating a powerful resource for scientific discovery.
Dr. George Yancopoulos, Regeneron's chief scientific officer, highlighted the strategic value of the partnership: "By combining Regeneron's expertise in genetics and drug development with Truveta's extensive phenotypic data and collaboration of leading US health systems, we hope to create the 'big data' that will empower the next generation of drug discovery."
Future Research and Healthcare Applications
The collected biospecimens will be preserved for future multi-omics sequencing studies, while the comprehensive database will serve multiple purposes:
- Accelerating drug discovery processes
- Enhancing clinical trial design and execution
- Training artificial intelligence models
- Developing new approaches for healthcare delivery
- Advancing population health management strategies
This initiative follows closely on the heels of another major population-based study involving RGC, including their recent involvement in a large-scale proteomics study with UK Biobank, supporting their commitment to advancing genomic research on a global scale.
