Seeing the future through your DNA
Facts
- A human genome contains over 3 billion DNA base pairs. 99.9% of each human genome is identical. Differences in height, physique, hair color, and aptitude are all contained in the other 0.1% of our genetic code. It is this 0.1% that influences susceptibility to disease.
- While it took 13 years and over $3 billion to complete the first sequencing of a human genome in 2003, today it only takes a few hours and costs under $1,000.
- 300 million people have purely hereditary diseases that could be prevented with genetic screening.
- There are 1.5 million cancer cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Prescribed drugs cost over $80 billion, of which only 25% are effective.
Insights
- In the 19th century, one in five children died from polio, mumps, smallpox or whooping cough. In the 20th century, these diseases were virtually eradicated through vaccinations. Today, three out of four people die from cancer, heart disease or stroke. Genomics and molecular medicine are poised to dramatically reduce deaths from these diseases. We may go from vaccinating everyone to sequencing everyone.
- The number of installed sequencing machines has more than quadrupled in the past six years. As the installed base expands from primarily research laboratories to the broader base of clinical facilities, growth will accelerate.
- If only 1% of the world population had their genomes sequenced, the amount of data generated would be 7,000 times greater than the content of all U.S. academic and research libraries.
- Sequencing will lead to better diagnostics and molecular-based drugs with higher prices, lower volumes, higher success rates, less waste, and longer treatment periods.
Action
- Invest in the leading manufacturer of sequencing machines. The company has dominant and growing market share. Its equipment has been used in 90% of all genomes sequenced. We expect its addressable market to more than triple in the next five years.
- Invest in specialized technology companies that help the medical profession store, organize and decipher genomic information.
- Invest in drug and diagnostic companies that will benefit from the proliferation of next generation sequencing.
We’re not just betting on the next blockbuster drug. Our client portfolios participate across industries and companies best positioned to capitalize on the revolution in molecular medicine.
