London, UK, November 8, 2024 – Lifebit, a leader in federated Trusted Research Environment (TRE) technology, and the Lupus Research Alliance (LRA), the world’s largest global, non-profit, non-governmental funder of lupus research, are excited to announce a strategic partnership aimed at transforming lupus research and drug development. This collaboration will leverage Lifebit’s innovative data platform to launch the Data Repository, Exchange, and Analysis platform (DREAM) - a secure data analytics and information exchange system designed to accelerate lupus research.
Over the course of five years, LRA and Lifebit will establish the DREAM platform to securely store and manage health and biomedical data of 3,500 people in America living with lupus. Lifebit’s platform will enable ethical access to sharing of de-identified data, fostering collaboration among researchers and accelerating research. This platform will store critical longitudinal clinical, biospecimen, and research data in the AWS Cloud, with safe access provided via Lifebit’s Federated Trusted Research Environment.
The DREAM platform will fill a critical information gap in lupus research by enabling analysis of data from diverse patient populations disproportionately affected by lupus, including young Black and Hispanic females. An integral part of this initiative, the Lupus Nexus, will provide longitudinal patient data linked with biological samples, facilitating global collaboration, innovation, and precision medicine approaches to drive lupus drug discovery. The ultimate goal is to develop new treatments, prevent disease progression, and work toward a cure for lupus.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting millions worldwide, with a higher proportion among women and people of non-European descent. Despite its serious impact, lupus therapies remain limited, with only three new drugs approved for lupus in nearly 70 years. By establishing the DREAM platform, this partnership aims to address the urgent need for targeted therapies and new treatments for lupus.
Recognizing the importance of maintaining research data securely, Lifebit’s federated Trusted Research Environment will ensure compliance with global data regulations, providing secure storage and management. Researchers will analyze data in situ and connect disparate datasets without the need for data movement or replication. Stringent access controls ensure data confidentiality, further protecting patient privacy and trust.
“As a highly heterogeneous disease with few treatment options, there is an urgent need to understand the underlying mechanisms of lupus to guide the development of personalized treatments,” noted Dr Teodora Staeva, Chief Scientific Officer at the Lupus Research Alliance. “The DREAM platform will accelerate lupus research and drug development by providing safe and secure access to highly curated longitudinal samples and data, creating a unique information-exchange ecosystem.”
“We are honored to partner with the Lupus Research Alliance to support secure, collaborative research into this condition that affects so many lives,” said Dr. Maria Dunford, CEO of Lifebit. “Our federated Trusted Research Environment suite will ensure sensitive data are managed securely, enabling researchers to drive the development of new treatments for lupus.”
The Lupus Research Alliance is the largest non-governmental, non-profit funder of lupus research worldwide. The organization aims to transform treatment by funding the most innovative lupus research, fostering diverse scientific talent, and driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and ultimately a cure for lupus. Because the Lupus Research Alliance’s Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations goes to support lupus research programs.
Lifebit is a global leader in precision medicine data and software, empowering organisations across the world to transform how they securely and safely leverage sensitive biomedical data. We are committed to solving the most challenging problems in precision medicine, genomics and healthcare with a mission to create a world where access to biomedical data will never again be an obstacle to curing diseases.