deCODE Discovers Second Common Genetic Risk Factor for Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke
13 Juillet 2009 - 7:20PM
PR Newswire (US)
Will be Integrated Into deCODE AF(TM) DNA-based Risk Assessment
Test, and Into the deCODEme(TM) and deCODEme Cardio(TM) Scans
REYKJAVIK, Iceland, July 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Scientists at
deCODE genetics (NASDAQ:DCGN) and colleagues from Europe and the
United States today report the discovery of a common single-letter
variant in the sequence of the human genome (SNP) conferring
increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke. The findings
will be integrated directly into the deCODE AF(TM) reference
laboratory test for gauging individual risk of AF and stroke and
helping to identify stroke patients who may benefit from enhanced
monitoring for AF. The study is published online today in Nature
Genetics at http://www.nature.com/ng. The new SNP is in the ZFHX3
gene on chromosome 16q22, and the more than one third of people of
European descent who carry one copy are at approximately 20%
greater risk of AF and cardioembolic stroke than are individuals
who carry none. AF is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia,
and is a major risk factor for stroke. Because AF is often
intermittent and difficult to detect, gauging genetic
susceptibility can help doctors to decide which of their stroke
patients might benefit from longer-term monitoring for AF following
a stroke. Those with stroke due to AF may be given different
therapy than they would otherwise. This is the purpose of deCODE
AF(TM), at the heart of which is the major AF and stroke variant
discovered by deCODE on 4q25. Indeed today's findings are the
result of deCODE's program to build on this work and to find new
risk variants. After expanding their genome-wide association study
in Iceland, the deCODE team took the top SNPs outside the 4q25
region and typed them in case-control cohorts from Iceland, Norway
and the United States. This confirmed the ZFHX3 SNP as a risk
variant for AF. Analysis in stroke cohorts from Iceland, Germany,
Sweden and the UK demonstrated that this SNP was associated with
increased risk of stroke, particularly cardioembolic stroke. "This
is an important discovery and all the more gratifying because we
can integrate it straight into a test that is already helping to
improve patient care in the clinic. As with our 4q25 variant, this
latest discovery has been replicated in numerous populations by us
and others, and the connection to cardioembolic stroke is yet
further evidence that we are putting our finger on an important
pathway involved in AF and stroke risk. The ability to routinely
test for these risk factors means that we can understand whom we
should screen intensively for AF and then prescribe the drugs most
suited to the cause of a particular patient's disease. This is the
sort of personalized medicine that genetics is enabling -
individualized care that may mean not only better outcomes but
significant potential savings to the healthcare system. Discoveries
like this are the foundation upon which this transformation is
being made," said Kari Stefansson, CEO of deCODE. deCODE and the
authors wish to thank the participants who took part in this study
and made it possible. Financial support for this study was provided
by US National Institutes of Health grants HL075266 and U01 HL65962
and American Heart Association grant 0940116N; by the German
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01GI9909/3), by the
German Migraine & Headache Society (DMKG), and by unrestricted
grants of equal share from Astra Zeneca, Berlin Chemie, Boots
Healthcare, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, McNeil Pharma, MSD Sharp & Dohme
and Pfizer to the University of Muenster. About deCODE deCODE is a
bio-pharmaceutical company developing DNA-based tests and drugs to
improve the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of common diseases.
deCODE is a global leader in human genetics, and has identified key
variations in the genome (SNPs) conferring increased risk of major
public health challenges from cardiovascular disease to cancer.
Based upon these discoveries deCODE has brought to market a growing
range of DNA-based tests for gauging risk and empowering prevention
of common diseases. Through its CLIA-registered laboratory, deCODE
offers deCODE T2(TM) for type 2 diabetes; deCODE AF(TM) for atrial
fibrillation and stroke; deCODE MI(TM) for heart attack; deCODE
ProstateCancer(TM) for prostate cancer; deCODE Glaucoma(TM) for a
major type of glaucoma; and deCODE BreastCancer, for the common
forms of breast cancer. Its lead therapeutic programs, which
leverage the company's expertise in chemistry and structural
biology, include DG041, an antiplatelet compound being developed
for the prevention of arterial thrombosis; DG051 and DG031,
compounds targeting the leukotriene pathway for the prevention of
heart attack; and DG071 and a platform for other PDE4 modulators
with therapeutic applications in Alzheimer's disease and other
conditions. deCODE is delivering on the promise of the new
genetics(SM). Visit us on the web at http://www.decode.com/; on our
diagnostics site at http://www.decodediagnostics.com/; for our
pioneering personal genome analysis service and new focused disease
scans, integrating the genetic variants included in these tests and
those linked to another twenty common diseases, as well as for our
new deCODEme Cardio(TM) and deCODEme Cancer(TM) scans, at
http://www.decodeme.com/; and on our blog at
http://www.decodeyou.com/. Any statements contained in this
presentation that relate to future plans, events or performance are
forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking
statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results, and the timing of events, to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, among others, those relating
to our ability to obtain sufficient financing to continue as a
going concern, our ability to develop and market diagnostic
products, the level of third party reimbursement for our products,
risks related to preclinical and clinical development of
pharmaceutical products, including the identification of compounds
and the completion of clinical trials, our ability to form
collaborative relationships, the effect of government regulation
and the regulatory approval processes, market acceptance, our
ability to obtain and protect intellectual property rights for our
products, dependence on collaborative relationships, the effect of
competitive products, industry trends and other risks identified in
deCODE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including, without limitation, the risk factors identified in our
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any updates to those
risk factors filed from time to time in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. deCODE undertakes no
obligation to update or alter these forward-looking statements as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contacts:
deCODE genetics Edward Farmer +44-7796-010107 Gisli Arnason
+354-570-1900 Joy Bessenger +1-212-481-3891 DATASOURCE: DeCODE
Genetics Inc CONTACT: Contacts: deCODE genetics, Edward Farmer,
+44-7796-010107, . Gisli Arnason, +354-570-1900, . Joy Bessenger,
+1-212-481-3891,
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