Over the past decade, genomics has become an increasingly important research tool at Genentech — one that has enhanced the company's core strength of molecular biology. Genomic technologies have greatly accelerated the company's ability to identify novel genes and proteins that may become tomorrow's therapies, as well as those that hold important prognostic information.

Information on specific genes and their related proteins has always been at the core of Genentech's search for novel drug targets. For more than 25 years, Genentech has been using genomic-like technologies in its quest to discover new therapies. Recent advances in genomics, including the sequencing of the human genome, offer a whole new world of information that enables a better understanding of disease at the molecular level.

At Genentech, a well-established, integrated research foundation provides scientists access to the most advanced technologies and biological information necessary to guide their research and make important decisions about potential drug candidates. This information program includes public and private databases, as well as bioinformatics capabilities such as Genentech's own Secreted Protein Discovery Initiative (SPDI). Largely as a result of SPDI, Genentech has identified, cloned and sequenced nearly 2,000 genes that encode secreted or transmembrane proteins — the majority of which have their full-length sequence cloned. Genentech believes that secreted proteins — transmembrane receptors that transfer information inside cells and ligands, molecules that activate receptors on the surface of cells — are proteins of great therapeutic value. In fact, several of biotech's most successful drugs, such as recombinant human insulin and tissue plasminogen activator (Activase®), are secreted proteins and have come from research at Genentech.

Our attention has now turned to the functional characterization of these novel proteins. This functional genomic approach involves many cutting edge technologies such as DNA microarray analysis, cell-based assays, knockouts, transgenic models and antibody technology to validate potential drug targets.

The power and speed of advanced genomics technologies, coupled with Genentech's expertise in biology, are likely to result in the discovery of important new therapies to fill unmet medical needs.

For more information, download Genomics at Genentech (PDF/64K).