Amalga Life Sciences Adds Rosetta

Amalga Life Sciences 2009, released in Apr. 2009 by Microsoft’s Health Solution Group, aims to link research data with clinical records and other data, giving scientists a more comprehensive view of how genetic makeup and drugs affect health. In June 2009, Microsoft announced that the software would add analysis functions gained in the acquisition of Rosetta Biosoftware. The product gives Microsoft a presence in the health research area, and its value could accelerate as the United States increases its use of electronic medical records.

Aimed at pharmaceutical and other researchers, the software can identify patterns in large data sets (some in the petabyte—1 million gigabytes—range) and is extensible, enabling it to collect, search, and query data from new sources. Most clinical data, such as health records from hospital patients, is never used for medical research, but by collecting and analyzing that data and comparing it with results from other studies, researchers may be able to confirm (or, just as important, invalidate or refine) results from laboratory studies. The software can also be linked with genetic databases to identify populations or treatment approaches that might narrow down a target population or treatment to ensure a higher ratio of success for specific drugs or treatments.