Partnership aims to advance cancer diagnosis and treatment
A recent press release by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK; NY, USA) outlines their joint collaboration with Quest Diagnostics (NJ, USA). MSK aim to combine their understanding of genetic mutations associated with solid tumors with Quest Diagnostic’s expertise in order to improve the quality of care for patients.
Over the years, MSK has collected a vast amount of data that links certain genetic mutations to specific cancer types. There is a growing number of studies that demonstrate how these mutations may also affect the efficacy of therapies, and individuals who share the same mutations may benefit from the same treatment. Quest Diagnostics has developed and launched the OncoVantage™ test, which enables the molecular characterization of tumor biopsies.
There will be two phases of the collaboration. In the first phase, MSK will provide contextual information about mutations identified by the OncoVantage test, to provide physicians with more insights to aid therapy selection. For the second phase, the organizations hope to develop an improved diagnostic test that is able to process hundreds of genes. It is estimated that this expanded test will launch by the spring of 2015.
Steve Rusckowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quest Diagnostics, commented, “By combining our broad market reach, which covers half the practicing physicians and hospitals in the United States, with MSK’s deep experience in cancer care and molecular science, we hope to illuminate the best possible cancer treatment options for patients across the country.”
