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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- PPGx, Inc., a leading international developer and supplier of research-based pharmacogenomic services and products, has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The federal grant totaling $98,934 will be used to develop a JAVA toolkit for analyzing data from micro-arrays in pharmacogenomic research studies. The Phase I program is designed to demonstrate the technical merit, feasibility and usefulness of applying innovative Web-based visualization and analytical methods to uncover patterns of gene expression associated with drug addiction. Though initially focused on long-term drug addiction, the software, as conceived, will ultimately help researchers study gene expression in a variety of other conditions.
During the Phase I project, PPGx will work in close collaboration with scientists at the National Institute for Drug Addiction (NIDA) to establish user requirements, system design choices and specifications. The project will include the development of an initial prototype system to include core capabilities for evaluation of feasibility and utility.
"PPGx is excited and truly honored to receive this research grant because it acknowledges and strengthens our ability to apply our bioinformatics expertise to critical issues confronting researchers and healthcare practitioners," said Josh Baker, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of PPGx. "Working in partnership with the Institute, we believe that the in- depth information made possible by the software can help produce more effective therapies for healthcare professionals treating addiction and other diseases."
According to Baker, enhanced data visualization and mining tools such as this software are essential to transforming raw scientific data into practical medical knowledge for use in the clinical setting. "There is clearly a strong synergy between the goals of this project and PPGx's mission of applying bioinformatics and pharmacogenomic technology to discover how genetic diversity affects individual drug response and develop predictive tools that help healthcare professionals optimize patient outcomes."
Baker also noted that PPGx will incorporate the results of this project into the company's GeneTrials(TM) Bioinformatics Platform, an innovative software program that helps PPGx's clients and collaborators rapidly browse, query and analyze the complex genomic and clinical data sets encountered in pharmacogenomic research. PPGx launched the GeneTrials platform earlier this month after a three-year, multi-million dollar research and development effort.
About PPGx
PPGx (http://www.ppgx.com ) provides technical and consulting expertise in the application of pharmacogenomics to optimize and accelerate drug discovery and development. Combining genetic research technologies from its computational and research divisions, GLP/CLIA global laboratory services and a comprehensive bioinformatics platform, PPGx provides pharmacogenomic solutions for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. A joint venture formed in February 1999 between PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPDI) and Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AXPH), PPGx is committed to the discovery of predictive genetic markers for use in clinical trials to result in delivery of therapeutic and life-saving medicines. PPGx pharmacogenomic services and products are exclusively marketed by PPD.
SOURCE PPGx Corporation
Web site: http://www.ppgx.com
CONTACT: media, Roger Friedensen of Epley Associates, Inc., for
PPGx Corporation, 919-877-0877, or e-mail
friedensen@epley-ral.com
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