NEWS BRIEFS

Morrisville, N.C. — PPGx, Inc., a leading international developer and supplier of research-based pharmacogenomic services and products, announced that Bristol-Myers Squibb Company will incorporate its breakthrough GeneTrials Bioinformatics Platform into its pharmacogenomics research and development program.

The agreement is part of PPGx’s GeneTrials Partner Program, a framework through which PPGx grants pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies early access to its bioinformatics technology and pharmacogenomics expertise. Through the program, PPGx software developers and pharmacogenomic consultants work jointly with partner scientists to customize GeneTrials to meet the client’s specific project needs and to identify opportunities for technical enhancement.

PPGx has made a significant investment in developing the GeneTrials Platform to overcome the dual challenges of managing the vast amount of clinical and genomic data available publicly and from in-house and collaborative genetic studies and turning that information into usable scientific knowledge. The GeneTrials Platform provides unique capabilities that enable scientists to quickly and efficiently browse, query and mine the diverse and increasingly large data sets encountered in pharmacogenomic research.

“As we lead research into the era of personalized medicine, the ability to integrate research data across a variety of disciplines becomes a critical capability. PPGx’s GeneTrials allows us to combine our genomic, clinical and preclinical data sets to enable exciting new opportunities for our pharmacogenomics program,” said Nicholas Dracopoli, Ph.D., executive director of pharmacogenomics with Bristol-Myers Squibb.

“We are delighted to join the Bristol-Myers Squibb team and help the company capitalize on the advantages offered by the GeneTrials Platform,” said PPGx President and CEO Josh Baker, Ph.D. “PPGx brings to the table an advanced software technology and a unique understanding of how to apply bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics to drug development. It’s an ideal partnership, with both companies looking toward speeding time-to-market and maximizing patient outcomes. We look forward to expanding this strategic relationship in the future.”

PPGx makes available a suite of advanced bioinformatics software products, tools and services through the GeneTrials Partner Program, including access to PPGx’s GeneTrials Data Warehouse and GeneTrials Explorer software products. GeneTrials Data Warehouse is a highly scalable Oracle-based repository that employs sophisticated commercial data warehousing technology to integrate, manage and organize complex pharmacogenomic data. GeneTrials Explorer provides scientists with an extremely powerful user interface for browsing, querying, annotating and analyzing information stored within the GeneTrials Data Warehouse.

Pharmacogenomics is the science of using genetic information to predict the variable response of patients to drug therapy. PPGx researchers have been working in pharmacogenomics for more than seven years to develop genetic tests and tools to enable patients and physicians to predict individual drug response and to help drug developers discover safer medicines, reduce development costs and speed time to market.

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a $20 billion diversified global health and personal care company whose mission is to extend and enhance human life. Visit Bristol-Myers Squibb on the World Wide Web at http://www.bms.com .

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. and Axys Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 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.

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