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The UK’s Medical Research Council, together with the British Heart Foundation and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, are jointly sponsoring a £17 million research programme to evaluate novel genomic biomarkers for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, stroke and Parkinsons disease (see press release). Research on biomarkers related to disease status, progression and responsiveness to treatment will be included among the 18 new projects supported by the funding.

The Medical Research Council is contributing £8 million to the total, with £1 million coming from the British Heart Foundation. The £8 million contribution from industry will be partly in the form of direct financial support, and partly “in kind”, in the form of drugs and reagents, commitment of time or access to technology.