BioCentury
ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Variant Bio: creating a new social contract for genome-based drug discovery

Emerging Company Profile: Variant Bio aims to turn insights from indigenous communities into medicines for all

May 19, 2021 11:58 PM UTC

Variant Bio aims to develop drugs based on data gathered in collaboration with groups that have maintained genetic and often cultural distance from the populations that dominate genomic databases.

The DNA of genetically distinct populations is one of the most promising places to look for insights that could lead to the development of transformational medicines, but the search requires cultural sensitivity and long-term engagement with communities that are unfamiliar to most biotech companies. ...