[Ip-health] GlaxoSmithKline Collaborates with National Cancer Institute to Make Large Body of Cancer Cell Genomic Data Available to All Cancer Researchers

[robert weissman]

GlaxoSmithKline Collaborates with National Cancer Institute to Make
Large Body of Cancer Cell Genomic Data Available to All Cancer Researchers

Data being made available on NCI Database Could Save Drug Development
Time and Capital for Other Research Institutions

PHILADELPHIA, June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Marking another positive
step in the collaborative fight against cancer, GlaxoSmithKline
(NYSE:GSK) announced today the release of genomic profiling data for
over 300 cancer cell lines via the National Cancer Institute's cancer
Bioinformatics Grid(TM) (caBIG(TM)). The caBIG(TM) initiative is a
network of infrastructure and tools that enables the collection,
analysis, and sharing of data and knowledge along the entire research
pathway from laboratory bench to patient bedside. By releasing the cell
line data via caBIG(TM), GSK could be enabling other cancer research
institutions to save considerable drug development time and capital in
their future cancer therapeutic research.

"These data are valuable for many avenues of cancer research, and we are
pleased to share them with the cancer community," said Paolo Poletti,
M.D., Senior Vice President, Oncology Medicines Development Center, R&D,
GlaxoSmithKline. "Vast amounts of data are being generated in biomedical
research and in order to realize the potential benefits of molecular
medicine, scientists need to be able to access data in more timely and
cost-efficient ways.  The caBIG(TM) platform is an excellent tool to do
just that."

With the advent of the human genome project, researchers have been able
to identify, aggregate and analyze cancer cell line information in the
laboratory. These breakthrough bodies of data have been used extensively
in the discovery and development of novel cancer therapeutics.

According to Dr. Richard Wooster, Director of Translational Medicine
Oncology, R&D, GSK, "Cataloging this type of information in a network
like caBIG(TM) leads to a ready-made body of biologic information that
can be mined by all cancer researchers to further everyone's
understanding of cancer.  In turn, we hope this data will further drive
the identification of predictive biomarkers and lead to shorter, more
directed clinical trials allowing us to bring drugs more quickly to
patients who need them."

The genomic data being shared by GSK through caBIG(TM) come from cell
lines derived from a wide variety of tumors, including breast, prostate,
lung and ovarian cancers. Researchers at academic institutions, small
research facilities and non-profit organizations may benefit by not
having to incur the prohibitive cost and time involved in identifying
and cataloging each cell line.

"The ability for researchers to share data via the caBIG(TM) network is
exactly what this initiative was designed to enable," said Robert
Clarke, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor of oncology and physiology and
biophysics at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of
Georgetown University Medical Center and Georgetown University Hospital.
  "As more scientists throughout the cancer community, in the US and
globally, use caBIG(TM) and find it easy to share data and collaborate,
both basic and clinical research will be improved. We're excited about
what this cancer cell data might provide to other researchers and we
also hope it will be a catalyst for other organizations to follow the
GSK example."

The NCI launched the caBIG(TM) initiative in 2004 to accelerate the
research and discovery of new approaches to the detection, diagnosis,
treatment, and prevention of cancer. Since that time, more than 200
organizations and 1000 individuals have helped to create more than 40
biomedical research tools such as caArray, the microarray data
management system that is guiding the annotation and supporting the
exchange of the cancer cell array data provided by GSK.

Interested researchers can download this free data through caArray at
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/tools/caArray_GSKdata. caArray, like all the
tools in the caBIG(TM) suite, is free and open-source.

About GlaxoSmithKline

GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based
pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the
quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better, and
live longer. For company information, visit GlaxoSmithKline at
http://www.gsk.com/.

GSK in Oncology

GSK Oncology is dedicated to producing innovations in cancer that will
make profound differences in the lives of patients. Through GSK's
revolutionary "bench to bedside" approach, we are transforming the way
treatments are discovered and developed, resulting in one of the most
robust pipelines in the oncology sector. Our worldwide research in
oncology includes collaborations with more than 160 cancer centers. GSK
is closing in on cancer from all sides with a new generation of patient
focused cancer treatments in prevention, supportive care, chemotherapy
and targeted therapies.

About caBIG(TM)

The National Cancer Institute's cancer biomedical Informatics Grid(TM)
(caBIG(TM)) is an information network that enables data and knowledge to
be shared within and across organizations, scientific domains, and
countries to accelerate the discovery of new approaches for the
detection, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cancer. Cancer
centers, research facilities, and other organizations from across the
country are already getting connected with caBIG(TM), and
caBIG(TM)-compatible tools and infrastructure are being adopted
throughout the cancer and biomedical community.  https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: michele.n.parker@gsk.com


Source: GlaxoSmithKline


CONTACT:  US Media inquiries, Mary Anne Rhyne, +1-919-483-2839; UK Media
inquiries, Philip Thomson, Gwenan White or Alice Hunt, +44-20-8047-5502,
Claire Brough, +44-20-8047-5498; European Analyst, Investor inquiries, David
Mawdsley, +44-20-8047-5564, Sally Ferguson, +44-20-8047-5543, Gary Davies,
+44-20-8047-5503; US Analyst, Investor inquiries, Frank Murdolo,
+1-215-751-7002, or Tom Curry, +1-215-751-5419, all of GlaxoSmithKline

Web site:  http://www.gsk.com/
https://cabig.nci.nih.gov/

Company News On-Call:  http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/801350.html

NOTE TO EDITORS:  For GSK Oncology R&D contact: Global media: Gregory
Clarke, +1-610-917-7523.