ACADEMIA

First Genetic Trust (FGT) announced today that it has been awarded a two-year, $2 million Advanced Technology Program (ATP) grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The federal funding will support the development of a highly secure information system that manages patients' medical and genetic data to enable large-scale surveillance of adverse drug reactions and pharmacogenomic research. One unique feature of the system will be its ability to provide patients with a secure communication mechanism that allows them to interact with researchers in an anonymous fashion. This allows patients to control the use of their medical and genetic data while providing researchers a way to contact study participants for additional information or follow-up studies. ATP grants are awarded to companies to develop highly innovative new technologies that have a potential to provide broad benefit to the national economy. If successfully deployed on a national basis, this technology could be used to help reduce the incidence of adverse drug reactions, save billions of dollars in costs associated with market withdrawal of approved drugs, and reduce overall healthcare costs in the United States. "The award of this distinguished grant fits perfectly with the mission of First Genetic Trust. It underscores the depth and innovation of our information technology and demonstrates the substantial benefits that technology can bring to the advancement of genetic research and personalized medicine," says Arthur Holden, CEO of First Genetic Trust. Further information about this grant is available at: http://jazz.nist.gov/atpcf/prjbriefs/prjbrief.cfm?ProjectNumber=00-00-5977 . Further information about the ATP is available at: http://www.atp.nist.gov/atp/about.htm .