RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 13, 2014 – Global Genomics Group (G3) today announced that it has completed enrollment of the 5,000-patient discovery cohort of its GLOBAL (Genetic LOci and Burden of Atherosclerotic Lesions) clinical study. Pilot data for the first cohort of patients are expected later this year.
The GLOBAL study, designed to identify disease-related pathways, new drug targets and biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, enrolled 5,000 patients in the discovery group, with approximately 2,500 patients in the control group and approximately 2,500 patients in the case group. Precision phenotyping is conducted with cardiovascular computed tomography (CT), including calcium scoring and CT angiography, an advanced, non-invasive imaging technology. A pan-omic analysis that includes whole genome sequencing, whole genome methylation, whole transcriptome sequencing, unbiased proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics, will be conducted for every patient. The data will be analyzed with systems biology driven bioinformatics.
“The strong interest and support from the medical community has allowed us to rapidly enroll patients at many of the top centers worldwide, and we are well ahead of our original schedule,” said Bradley Brown, co-founder and vice president of clinical affairs of G3. “This is an important milestone for G3 as well as for our collaborating researchers and participating patients. The GLOBAL study will allow us to gain important insights about the development of cardiovascular disease and to identify new disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets. We anticipate that the pilot data set will be available later this year.”
The GLOBAL study is enrolling patients at 48 institutions in 9 countries and across three continents. The investigators anticipate enrolling an additional 2,000 patients in the validation cohort, with approximately 1,000 patients in the disease group and 1,000 in the control group.
Stephen Bloom, M.D., of Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists, Kansas City, Mo., a principal investigator of the study, said, “Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, and the biological pathways leading to atherosclerosis — the primary reason for heart attacks and stroke — remain largely unknown. The GLOBAL study is the most ambitious study ever undertaken to investigate the root cause of this complex disease and may not only provide us with new biomarkers and drug targets, but it will also provide us with a platform for early screening, continued monitoring of risk, prevention and early intervention.”
About GLOBAL
GLOBAL is the largest pan-omic study combining genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and lipoprotein proteomics with coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography, an advanced imaging technology for phenotyping, which allows the precise classification of disease in patients.
The ongoing GLOBAL study (ClincialTrials.gov Identifier NCT01738828) is an international, prospective, multi-center study recruiting up to 10,000 patients to characterize novel disease networks and biomarkers for coronary artery disease (CAD). The study is being funded by G3 and conducted together with strategic partner, Health Diagnostic Laboratory. Eligible patients undergo coronary CT angiography providing an accurate and detailed examination of the disease and disease status. This precision phenotyping is combined with a pan-omic analysis, and the data is then analyzed utilizing specifically-developed systems biology-based bioinformatics technology for identification of diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.
About Global Genomics Group (G3)
G3 is a life sciences company investigating biological networks that lead to the development of disease to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. G3 combines precision phenotyping with pan-omics (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and lipoprotein proteomics) and bioinformatics to investigate the development and progression of conditions such as atherosclerosis in cardiovascular disease.
For additional information, please visit www.globalgenomicsgroup.com.
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