Merck plans data sharing platform for disease biology

Collaboration seems to be the name of the game as companies try to find ways to support innovative research while cutting expenses. Among the latest ventures is a open access data sharing platform being developed at Merck. The company's plans were revealed at last week's CHI's Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference, Bio-IT World reports. The project was started by Merck SVP and former oncology chief Stephen Friend and Eric Schadt, a researcher with Merck subsidiary Roseta Inpharmatics. The two say they envision the platform--dubbed Sage--to "create open access, integrative bionetworks, evolved by contributor scientists, to accelerate the elimination of human disease."

"We need massive amounts of information appropriately integrated to build models that are predictive," said Schadt. "Scientists across the globe involved in different areas of research need to be actively engaged in accessing these networks and contributing information back."

Sage is expected to create a "precompetitive space" where disease biology data can be standardized, shared and layered. The greatest barrier to Sage's success is not technology, but overcoming established institutions whose cultures may not encourage data sharing, or clinicians, who aren't used to using defined standards, Friend explained.

- read more in Bio-It World