Common Gene Identified in Large Set of Asthma Patients

Asthma Gene Find Spells Profit

Boston Globe 26feb01

Genome Therapeutics Corp. and Schering-Plough Corp. say they have discovered a gene that predisposes people to asthma, marking the first time such a gene has been identified in a large population of patients with the respiratory illness.

The discovery is the result of a five-year collaboration between the Waltham, Mass., biotechnology company and the New Jersey pharmaceutical giant to develop drugs to treat asthma.

Although other genes linked to the disease have been identified in small, isolated patient populations, the companies said, this is the first gene identified in a broad cross-section of patients. The study included hundreds of asthma patients and their families in the United Kingdom and the United States.

"Because of that, we believe the therapeutic value of this discovery is greater than other discoveries," said Steven Rauscher, president and chief executive of Genome Therapeutics. "If we developed a treatment against this gene, we could reduce the prevalence of asthma by as much as 20 to 50 percent."

Asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting children. More than 15 million people nationwide were treated for the illness last year at a total cost of more than $14.5 billion. And though there are many treatments to help patients control asthma, there is no cure.

The disease area is an important one for Schering-Plough. Asthma and allergy drugs made up half its drug sales in 1999. And it is pursuing several approaches to develop new treatments, including the alliance with Genome Therapeutics.

Pinpointing the genetic cause of asthma is difficult, however, because multiple genes play a role.

Rauscher said the discovery of the gene is not only an important advance in the understanding of the disease but also proof of Genome Therapeutics' technology for identifying genetic causes of complex diseases such as asthma.

"This is big news for us at Genome Therapeutics -- it's the largest single scientific discovery in our company's history," Rauscher said. "And obviously the implications for downstream therapies are very exciting."