Pfizer & deCODE Ink Pact for Sequence Variants Discovery

The two companies will jointly analyze patient genomes to search for sequence variants that would be useful for understanding drug targets and discovering novel drug targets.

U.S. pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer has established a research collaboration with Icelandic genomics firm deCODE genetics to discover sequence variants associated with specific clinical phenotypes related to Systemic Lupus Erythematosis using deCODE's gene discovery expertise.

During the next 18 months, the two companies will work together to analyze patient genomes to search for sequence variants that would be useful for understanding drug targets and discovering novel drug targets, which may lead to tools for patient stratification and companion diagnostics.

"This agreement is a part of deCODE's ongoing strategy to unleash the value of human genetics," said Kari Stefansson, founder and chief executive officer of decode. "Our research platform allows us t