Good News from Tue, 31 August, 2010:

New biobank project takes a step forward in Finland

Tekes
Finnish law on biobanks is moving forward. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is now waiting for other Finnish ministries to come onboard with funding for the project. The aim is to have the law in place by the beginning of 2011.

The biobank is intended to act as a centralized store for medical samples for use by researchers. At present the access to Finnish blood and tissue samples is tightly restricted, but through the new law on biobanks these restrictions would be lifted.

– It's a matter of international competitiveness of Finnish research and development. In recent years there has been emphasis on the need to be innovative. Here is our chance to take a step forward, comments Ministry Director General Päivi Sillanaukee from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health told YLE News.

In addition to samples, the new biobank would offer information on the donor’s lifestyle and health without breaching individual confidentiality.

– It will give us the opportunity to develop better, new targeted drugs, since it will be possible to create new and better diagnostics. A patient can be given the right medication without the need for testing if a certain drug suits that patient, notes Mia Bengtström, an expert at Pharma Industry Finland.

According to experts the new biobank would offer a major advantage to the Finnish pharmaceutical industry and research. In future this could attract also international investors.

www.stm.fi

MT

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Comments (5)

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