MOHW of Taiwan join hands with Rocke, Merck to launch Precision Cancer Medicine and Biobank Consortium

　To make good use of Taiwan’s exclusive biobank and to boom Taiwan’s precision medicine, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Health Research Institutes of Taiwan join hands with Roche, Merck, and Chugai Pharma Taiwan. Ltd. to officially launch the Cancer Precision Medicine and Biobank Consortium Collaboration Program on October 18, 2021.  With the assistance of the National Biobank Consortium of Taiwan and from nationwide  hospitals, Roche will provide 2,000 samples of overall gene tests valued at more than TWD2 hundred million and also collaborate with Merck and Chugai Pharma Taiwan. Ltd. to provide the targeted medication tailored specifically for the patients under this program according to the results of their gene tests.  Under this program, 2,000 patients will receive genetic tests for cancer, and the results of testing will be used for the medical development, which establishes an initiative example of large-scale partnership between Taiwan Biobank and international pharmaceuticals.  

　Established and launched in 2019, the National Biobank Consortium of Taiwan has recruited 30 biobanks in Taiwan and 511,000 participants to date.  Under this program, the unformatted significant medical data has been transformed to structured data to be utilized by the medical industry and made accessible to the industry, academia, and medical communities in terms of their respective needs.  (Released 2021.10.19) 

/CCS