BC Platforms, a world leader in secure genomic data management and analytics, announces an agreement with Nashville Biosciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), to make summary data about BioVU®, one of the world’s most comprehensive clinico-genomic research databases, available through its global biobank platform, BCRQUEST.com.
Created by VUMC, BioVU® provides unparalleled clinical insights and resources to biomedical researchers in both academic and industry settings through a de-identified clinico-genomic research database containing robust, longitudinal clinical data and approximately 250,000 bio-banked DNA samples. BC Platforms provides its BCRQUEST.com platform, a streamlined solution for secure data sharing, analytics and governance, enabling greater collaboration for scientific innovation and precision medicine.
This new agreement will link summary data about BioVU® to BC Platforms’ bioanalytics platform, allowing researchers to securely perform queries to rapidly estimate counts for a potential study cohort and determine the feasibility of the study without wasting time or effort. Researchers will then work with Nashville Biosciences and other biobanks participating in BCRQUEST.com to conduct their desired study. With more than 20 years of experience in securely managing genomic and phenotypic data, BC Platforms has developed unique technology capable of providing researchers with tools to browse and analyze summary level information from data providers, such as biobanks, who have subscribed to the service.
Leeland Ekstrom, PhD, COO of Nashville Biosciences said, “In-depth genetic analysis has become essential in life science R&D. With drug development costs forecast to double every nine years, we need more than ever to improve R&D productivity and uncover new ways to diagnose and care for diseases more efficiently. Working with BC Platforms will extend the impact of BioVU® to support researchers in efficient drug and diagnostics discovery and development, while still protecting the integrity of the biobank and the data it has been entrusted with.”
Tero Silvola CEO of BC Platforms commented, “The creation of Nashville Biosciences as the commercial interface by VUMC to allow streamlined access to one of the world’s largest and most unique datasets was a very progressive move. Using our BCRQUEST.com platform, biobanks can select which data from their collections to showcase in a secure and compliant manner to the world’s largest pharmaceutical R&D teams in order to establish future research projects. The life science industry benefits from this global pool of harmonized biobank data – now totaling two million subjects – to gain scientific insights with the goal of reducing drug development timelines and bringing benefits to patients worldwide.”
About Nashville Biosciences
Nashville Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), was created to harness the Medical Center’s extensive genomic and bioinformatics resources for drug and diagnostics discovery and development. Leveraging Vanderbilt University Innovation™, Nashville Biosciences serves as a commercial interface between outside companies and the formidable research capabilities housed within VUMC, including BioVU®, one of the world’s most comprehensive genetic databases linked to de-identified medical records with years of longitudinal clinical data. This unique asset is one of the largest and highest quality of its kind, providing an unprecedented opportunity to guide R&D activity in biotech, pharma, diagnostics, medical devices and other life sciences applications.
For more information, please visit http://www.nashville.bio/ or follow us on Twitter @NashvilleBio.
