Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine (CCPM) at the University of Colorado have entered a large-scale research collaboration in the field of human genetics and precision medicine through the sharing of 450,000 DNA samples and corresponding health records from de-identified, consented patient participants in the expansive UCHealth system. The Regeneron Genetics Center (RGC) will sequence these samples, producing genomic data that can be used to facilitate translational medical research.  

The CCPM is one of the largest health data warehouses in the U.S. and a pioneer in the use of a secure cloud platform with more than 8.7 million de-identified patient records. The five-year old research enterprise is also one of the first and largest programs in the country to integrate personalized genomic information with clinical data via a research biobank. CCPM physicians will validate any genetic findings from the RGC data in their CLIA-certified lab, enabling the return of clinically-actionable results to patients.

The RGC has built one of the world’s largest genetics databases, pairing the sequenced exomes and de-identified electronic health records of more than one million people, through collaborations with more than 80 global healthcare and academic institutions. Building upon Regeneron’s strengths in genetics-driven drug discovery, the information secured from this initiative will allow for the elucidation, on a large scale, of genetic factors that cause or influence a range of human diseases.

“We’re excited to collaborate with the CCPM and UCHealth to further expand the RGC’s large-scale genomics initiatives,” said Aris Baras, M.D., Senior Vice President at Regeneron and Head of the Regeneron Genetics Center. “In the search for new and improved medicines, as well as the advancement of validated and improved risk scores in medicine, both scale and quality of data matter. This partnership opens up new doors for meaningful discovery, strengthens Regeneron’s ability to speed and improve the drug development process, and allows us to work alongside other leaders in the advancement of genomic and precision medicine.”