Venter's New Goal: World's Largest Sequencing Operation

Dr. Venter is founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute. [Industrial Biotechnology]


J. Craig Venter, Ph.D. and two co-founders today launched a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company that he vowed will assemble the world’s largest human gene sequencing operation, using $70 million in Series A financing.

Human Longevity Inc. (HLI) says it will compile the most comprehensive and complete human genotype, microbiome, and phenotype database – with plans to sequence up to 40,000 human genomes per year, then quickly scape up to 100,000 human genomes per year. HLI will sequence a variety of people, both healthy and ill, from children to centenarians.

Both the sequencing operations and the new company’s efforts to help develop cell-based therapeutics are aimed at addressing aging-related diseases.

HLI will initially focus its clinical sequencing efforts on cancer, and will look to identify therapeutic solutions for cancer as well as other aging-related diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, heart and liver diseases, and dementia.

“HLI is going to change the way medicine is practiced by helping to shift to a more preventive, genomic-based medicine model which we believe will lower healthcare costs,” D. Venter said in a statement. “Our goal is not necessarily lengthening life, but extending a healthier, high performing, more productive life span.”

HLI will operate from labs in San Diego, and has already purchased two Illumina HiSeq X Ten Sequencing Systems, with the option to acquire three additional systems.

The HiSeq X Ten is a set of ten ultra-high-throughput sequencers, purpose-built for large-scale human whole-genome sequencing.

Dr. Venter is the founder and CEO of Synthetic Genomics, as well as founder, chairman, and CEO of the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI). HLI said it is establishing a collaboration and research services agreement with JCVI covering proteomics, infectious disease diagnostics, and the human microbiome, with the new company agreeing to license intellectual property from the institute.

JCVI is one of three partners with which HLI has established strategic collaborations; the others are Metabolon and University of California, San Diego.

HLI and UCSD have agreed to develop protocols and procedures to enable whole genome, microbiome and tumor sequencing and analysis of consenting UC San Diego research patients. Collaboration has begun by the company with the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. HLI said it will seek to extend this type of agreement and program with UC San Diego to other clinical centers worldwide.

Joining the biotech research pioneer and entrepreneur as co-founders of HLI are Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., and Peter H. Diamandis, M.D.

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About Human Longevity, Inc.

Human Longevity Inc. (HLI) is a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company. Using advances in genomic sequencing, the human microbiome, proteomics, informatics, computing, and cell therapy technologies, HLI is building the world’s most comprehensive database on human genotypes and phenotypes to tackle the diseases associated with aging-related human biological decline. HLI I also leading the development of cell-based therapeutics to address age-related decline in endogenous stem cell function. HLI is concentrating on cancer, diabetes and obesity, heart and liver diseases, and dementia.

The market for healthy human longevity is enormous. Globally, total healthcare expenses run over $7 trillion, with nearly half of these funds being spent in the senior (65+) years of a person’s life to help keep them alive longer. Using the combined power of HLI’s core areas of expertise – genomics, informatics, and stem cell therapies, HLI is going to change the way medicine is practiced by furthering the shift to a preventive, genomic-based medicine model.

HLI revenue streams will be derived from database licensing to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and academic organizations, sequencing, and development of advanced diagnostics and therapeutics.

Funding

HLI has secured $70 million in its initial round of funding. Our investors are a diverse group of individuals and companies who share our common goal and passion of changing healthcare, tackling the diseases of aging, and extending the healthy human lifespan.

Founders

• J. Craig Venter, PhD
• Robert Hariri, MD, PhD
• Peter H. Diamandis, MD

ORIGINAL: Genetic Engineering News

Mar 4, 2014