Celera, Novartis enter 5-year database subscription pact
Celera, Novartis enter 5-year database subscription pact
Celera Genomics (Rockville, MD), a unit of Perkin-Elmer, has entered into a five-year agreement to provide its database products and early access to new genomic information to Novartis Pharma.
The subscription includes three databases being developed by Celera: the Celera Human Gene Index, the Drosophila Genome Database and the Human Genome Database.
The Human Gene Index provides a current view of the set of human genes. The Drosophila database provides the complete sequence of Drosophila melanogaster generated by Celera’s sequencing activity with associated annotation. And the Human Genome Database includes associated annotation and links to relevant biological and medical information.
Under the terms of the agreement, Novartis will have access to associated bioinformatics systems and tools for viewing, browsing and analyzing genomic information. It retains all rights to any drug discoveries it makes using the Celera databases. And, as an early customer of Celera, Novartis will provide input into the development of various Celera products.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Celera is a joint venture of Perkin-Elmer and J. Craig Venter, PhD, of the Institute of Genomic Research. Launch ed in May of last year, it is focused on creating a comprehensive base of knowledge pertaining to human and other genomes.
The resulting databases and informatics tools will be available on a subscription basis to academic and commercial customers to enable and accelerate the development of new drugs, the identification of novel genes and factors that regulate and control gene expression; and knowledge concerning the relationships between genetic variability, disease, and drug response.
"Novartis is truly a leader in research within the healthcare industry, and we are very excited to have the company as a subscriber to Celera’s databases," said Venter, Celera president and chief scientific officer. "We are confident that Celera’s human genome sequence and other databases will further strengthen Novartis’ efforts."
A unit of the life science giant Novartis (Basel, Switzerland), Novartis Pharma develops, manufactures and markets prescription medications for a broad range of disease areas. Novartis Pharma’s research and development budgeted totaled more than 2.5 billion Swiss francs in 1998.
Perkin-Elmer currently comprises three operating divisions. The PE Biosystems Division, with sales of $922 million during fiscal 1998, supplies instrument systems, reagents, software, and related services to the life science industry and research community.
Celera Genomics was formed with the intention of becoming "the definitive source of genomic and related agricultural and medical information," according to a company statement.
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