In more than 30 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia where advanced genomic testing has previously been limited or unavailable, Pfizer and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) today announced they have entered into a collaboration agreement to help increase local access to next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based testing for patients with lung and breast cancer. Having access to local NGS testing can facilitate a quicker study of the genes involved, enabling medical professionals to choose the best course of treatment for each patient.1
Nearly 10 million deaths, or roughly one in every six deaths, will be caused by cancer in 2020, making it the top cause of death worldwide. The most common cancers identified are lung and breast cancers, which cause almost 4.5 million deaths worldwide.2 There will be 27.5 million new instances of cancer and 16.3 million cancer-related deaths worldwide by 2040.3 According to the terms of the agreement, Thermo Fisher will determine which regional labs will use its NGS technology and make sure they have the facilities, personnel, and quality control procedures required to fulfill industry requirements for NGS testing services for breast and lung cancer.
Pfizer will look into ways to make NGS testing for these kinds of cancer accessible to patients at reasonable costs and strive to increase awareness among healthcare professionals of the advantages of advanced testing. The two businesses will keep looking for ways to broaden their geographic reach and provide testing for additional cancer kinds.
“Anyone receiving a cancer diagnosis should have access to state-of-the-art diagnostics that can match them with a suitable, tailored treatment plan and enhance their care. According to Gianluca Pettiti, executive vice president of Thermo Fisher Scientific, “today, we intend to bring quick NGS testing to an expanding number of decentralized labs, closer to where patients are treated.
“We are getting closer to providing underserved patients with precision insights so they can get a more individualized course for their care no matter where they are in the world,” the researcher said.
“We can treat cancer more effectively the more we comprehend the intricate science behind it. According to Nick Lagunowich, Pfizer’s global president of emerging markets, “our experience has taught us that cancer cannot always be treated with a broad brush and frequently requires a personalized strategy based on particular disease characteristics. “Cancer patients may not have easy access to or cannot afford next-generation sequencing in many parts of the world. This program attempts to enhance their medical care and raise their prospects for successful treatment.
In the past, single gene testing has been used to match patients with the best focused treatments. However, if a series of tests is required, it can take a long time because there might not be enough tissue to do each test, which might necessitate additional biopsy procedures. Next-generation sequencing is quickly replacing sequential, single-biomarker tests as more focused medicines become available that can be matched through a larger collection of genetic markers.
NGS can quickly and effectively offer clinical teams with genetic insights to assist guide decisions about precision oncology treatment for eligible patients by simultaneously assessing a single tumor tissue or blood sample for several biomarkers.4
A retrospective observational real-world data study of patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer found that if actionable mutations were discovered after systemic treatments (such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy) had begun, outcomes like apparent survival and time to the next treatment were significantly compromised. However, when therapy was started based on molecular results, patients’ outcomes were better than when treatment was started without knowing the results of the molecular analysis. This finding supports the necessity for quick molecular testing to help make better treatment decisions.5
About NGS
Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), also known as high-throughput sequencing, is a set of technologies that enable the rapid and cost-effective sequencing of DNA and RNA molecules. Compared to traditional Sanger sequencing, NGS allows for the simultaneous sequencing of millions of DNA or RNA molecules, generating vast amounts of sequencing data in a short period of time.
NGS has revolutionized many areas of biological research and medicine, including genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and metagenomics. It has enabled the sequencing of entire genomes and transcriptomes in a variety of species, including humans, plants, and microbes. This has led to new insights into the genetics and biology of many organisms, and has opened up new avenues for drug discovery and personalized medicine.
Discoveries that Change Patients’ Lives: Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we use research and our extensive resources to develop treatments that help people live longer and significantly better lives. When it comes to the discovery, development, and production of health care goods, including cutting-edge medications and vaccines, we work hard to set the bar for quality, safety, and value. Colleagues at Pfizer work to promote wellness, prevention, treatments, and cures for the most feared diseases of our time every day in developed and developing markets.
We work with healthcare providers, governments, and local communities to promote and increase access to dependable, affordable health care around the world, in keeping with our responsibilities as one of the most inventive and leading biopharmaceutical businesses in the world.
We have been striving to improve the lives of everyone who depends on us for more than 170 years. On our website, www.Pfizer.com, we often post material that can be pertinent to investors. Visit us at www.Pfizer.com, follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, on LinkedIn, on YouTube, and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/Pfizer for additional information.
In relation to Thermo Fisher Scientific.
With an annual revenue of nearly $40 billion, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the market leader in providing services to science. Our goal is to empower people to improve the safety, health, and environment of the planet. We are here to serve our customers whether they are advancing life sciences research, resolving challenging analytical challenges, boosting lab productivity, enhancing patient health through diagnostics, or developing and manufacturing life-changing treatments.
Through our industry-leading brands, which include Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon, and PPD, our global team offers an unmatched combination of cutting-edge technology, purchasing ease, and pharmaceutical services. Visit for additional details.
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