Bioiberica Farma is working on a DNA test to predict possible risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.
The ′Osteochip Project′ involded more than 1,700 post-menopause women aged 45 and older from France, Switzerland and Italy. This study is being developed by Bioiberica Farma, a leading Spanish biotechnology company with more than 30 years of experience in joint care under its belt. Dr. Santiago Palacios, gynecologist and member of the scientific team developing this project, will present the latest updates during the SAMEM congress in womens health to be held tomorrow in Madrid.
Barcelona, February 21, 2013. Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. It has been estimated that one in three women older than 50 suffer from that disease, which causes every year some nine million fractures worldwide. Besides, the diagnostic tools currently available cannot predict if an individual is at risk of suffering a fracture. This is the reason why Bioiberica Farma, Spanish company with more than 30 years of experience in joint care, and Progenika, that specializes in the design and development of personalized medicine tools, have joined hands to develop a DNA saliva test that can predict the risk of bone fractures in post-menopause women without having to measure bone mineral density. “The final aim of the Osteochip project is to develop a prognostic tool that could have a very positive impact in clinical practice, for it would permit physicians to classify their patients according to their fracture risk levels. This would allow them to choose the right therapy for every patient, thus advancing towards personalized, improved medical care”, explains Dr. Josep Vergés, Scientific and Medical director at Bioibérica.
Osteochip is an ongoing research project involving more than 1,700 French, Swiss and Italian post-menopause women aged 45 years or older. Their DNA and clinical risk factors have been be evaluated (weight, height, fractures suffered during the ten years after the onset of menopause, tobacco and alcohol consumption, family history of the disease…) according to Dr. Santiago Palacios, gynecologist and member of the research team, “what we are trying to do is to identify those genetic mutations associated to osteoporosis in order to develop the first genetic chip in the world that can predict, from a simple saliva sample, the risk of osteoporosis-related bone fractures. This product could be a more precise prognosis tool that could complement the WHO-developed FRAX® index currently in use.
The Osteochip research Project is part of Bioiberica’s R&D strategy-our company allocates some 13% of its budget to R&D, which is mostly carried out in Spain. “One of our flagship projects for the present year is our new range of products for personalized medicine. These products use a patient’ genetic and/or environmental information to diagnose, prevent or treat diseases. The first one, a genetic test to predict evolution of knee osteoarthritis, will be launched before summer-we first presented it last year at the World Congress on Osteoarthritis”, explains Dr. Vergés.
Presentation of the Osteochip Project
SAMEM congress in women’s health and medical care
Session: genetics, a tool for personalization and best choice of osteoarthritis treatments.
Friday, February 22, 2013, 09:00 am
- Colegio oficial de Médicos de Madrid, c/ Santa Isabel 51
