Iceland Genomics Corp, a Delaware-based biotech company whose only asset is its UVS subsidiary in Reykjavik, has announced an umbrella agreement with the Icelandic Cancer Society and the University Hospitals in Reykjavik. Under the deal, UVS, which is focused on post-genomic research, can negotiate research agreements with particular labs and individuals at these institutions. So far, three research agreements—focussing on breast cancer and bladder cancer—have been forged with the Cancer Society's Molecular and Cellular Biology Research Laboratory. The National University hospitals have agreed to provide samples and information from patients who give informed consent to UVS, which plans to build up its own cancer database. “The goal of this company [UVS] is to have comprehensive access to all the major cancers in this country and study them all together,” says Bernhard Palsson, professor of bioengineering at the University of California (San Diego), who co-founded the company in 1998.

Until now, DeCODE Genetics had a virtual monopoly on commercial human genetics research in Iceland, and there has been much opposition to its plans for a centralized healthcare database (Nat. Biotechnol., 17, 27). While commentators point out that DeCODE's landmark deal with Roche did not cover cancer (Nat. Biotechnol., 16, 896), they say DeCODE's CEO Kari Stefansson has stated his interest in the area several times and that UVS is going to be competition for DeCODE. But Palsson insists that “There is minimal overlap between these companies,” explaining that UVS is much more focussed on functional genomics databasing and expression profiling.