Genome Therapeutics Corp. was an early biotech company. It was founded in 1961 by Orrie M. Friedman under the name Collaborative Research Inc. [1] Under the leadership of Helen Donis-Keller and using internal funds, the company produced one of the first linkage maps of the whole human genome in the mid-1980s. [2] [3]
The name was later changed its name to Genome Therapeutics. In 1994, it produced the first commercial genome sequence, [2] that of Helicobacter pylori, the pathogen responsible for peptic ulcers. The rights to the genome were sold to Astra AB of Sweden for $22 million and a similar deal struck with Schering-Plough. [2] In addition to infectious agents, it also worked on heritable diseases including asthma. [4]
In 2004, Genome Therapeutics changed its name to Oscient Pharmaceuticals [5] and its sequencing division joined with Agencourt Bioscience. The latter spun out Agencourt Personal Genomics which was acquired by ABI for $120 million in 2007. [6]