Geisinger awarded $500,000 state grant for biobank

Aug. 28, 2006 DANVILLE - Geisinger Clinic will receive a $500,000 grant from the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority to advance biobanking efforts and further genetic research. The authority, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, approved the Technology Development Grant today in Harrisburg.

Geisinger aims to collect and store 200,000 blood samples from consenting patients. Geisinger scientists, collaborating with biopharmaceutical partners, will then use the samples and associated electronic clinical data to research how genetics influence susceptibility to particular diseases and develop tests for early detection. Research might also reveal how a patient with a specific genetic make-up will respond to medicines. The funding will allow Geisinger to ramp up patient education and consent efforts, and to collect and manage samples.

“Biobanking holds tremendous potential to help scientists develop new genetically based treatments for disease, perhaps even before symptoms develop,” said Glenn Steele Jr., MD, PhD, president and chief executive officer of Geisinger Health System. “Geisinger is uniquely positioned to lead efforts. No other institution in the country possesses the same combination of stable patient population, electronic health records, widespread clinical practice, laboratory infrastructure and research capabilities.”

Geisinger Ventures led the capital raising effort on behalf of Geisinger Clinic. “The biobank will significantly contribute to our overall vision of personalized medicine, in which diseases and therapies can be directly associated with an individual’s genetic make-up,” added Jim Peters, senior director of Geisinger Ventures. “The research that emerges from the biobank will help us and our biopharmaceutical partners develop novel ways to prevent and treat disease on an individualized basis.”

Geisinger Clinic is the 650-physician multi-specialty medical practice of the Geisinger Health System. Geisinger includes three hospitals, 40 outpatient community practice sites, and an alcohol and chemical dependency treatment center. The system also includes the Weis Center for Research, which focuses on laboratory-based investigations, and the Geisinger Center for Health Research, devising new models of healthcare that improve efficiency and quality.