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sent out to member nations for ratifi cation, states that the confi dentiality of the
information obtained through diagnostic, predictive and pharmacogenetic tests of
the samples must be assured. The researchers will have to fi nd procedures that
assure a high degree of data protection while simultaneously allowing use of the
patient data to acquire deeper insights into the causes of various diseases.
Lausanne Institutional Biobank
The Lausanne Institutional Biobank was designed as an integrated, highly versatile
infrastructure to harness the power of emerging omics technologies and catalyze the
discovery and development of innovative therapeutics and biomarkers to advance
personalized medicine (Mooser and Currat 2014 ). Since January 2013, inpatients
admitted at Lausanne CHUV University Hospital have been systematically invited
to provide a general consent for the use of their biomedical data and samples for
research, to complete a standardized questionnaire, to donate a 10 ml sample of
blood for future DNA extraction and to be re-contacted for future clinical trials.
Over the fi rst 18 months of operation, 14,459 patients were contacted, and 11,051
accepted to participate in the study. This initial 18-month experience shows that a
systematic hospital-based biobank is feasible with a strong engagement in research
from the patient population and the need for a broad, integrated approach to person-
alized medicine. Potential applications include:
- Discovery of genetic as well as molecular basis of diseases and response to
interventions - Validation of genetic or other biomarkers
- Proof-of-concept studies for investigational therapeutics on carriers of selected
genetic mutations - Genetically enriched phase IIb/III studies on selected participants of biobank
- Predictive and preventive medicine
CARTaGENE for Biobanks in Canada
In 2007, The Canadian government and the government of Québec announced a
plan to pump CA$34.5 million (US $31.9 million) into a human genomics consor-
tium. The Public Population Project in Genomics, or P3G, could receive as much as
CA$64.5 million when funds from other partners are counted. The primary aim of
the Montreal-based P3G consortium is to foster “collaboration between researchers
and projects in the fi eld of population genomics.” The group also includes the ongo-
ing CARTaGENE project. One of the major projects will be the creation of a large
bio-bank, which will comprise data from 20,000 residents of Québec between the
ages of 40 and 69. The infrastructure will function as a precursor for the develop-
ment and testing of standards for large biobanks in Canada.
20 Development of Personalized Medicine