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GE, Eli Lilly To Collaborate
In Vitro Diagnostics For Cancer Treatment
GE Global, Research, the General Electric
Company’s centralized research and development organization, and GE Healthcare
have entered into a three-year collaborative research agreement with Eli Lilly
and Company to discover and develop advances in vitro predict cancer treatment
response to targeted therapies.
In addition to Lilly’s existing chemotherapy
agents, Lilly is developing targeted cancer therapeutics, which is now in both
early and late stage clinical development. GE is developing advanced multiplexed
tissue-based assays and image analysis tools that can measure multiple
biological pathways. The goal of this collaboration is to discover key protein
and gene signatures that will predict the likelihood that a medication will be
effective in treating certain cancers. Once identified, the signatures can then
be used to pre-select patients who are good candidates for the targeted therapy.
“The co-development of diagnostics and
therapeutics is a major strategy of GE Healthcare’s “Early Health” vision, and
our collaboration with Lilly and expansion into in vitro diagnostics is right
inline with this strategy, “ said, Dr. Michael Montalto, head, Molecular Imaging
and Diagnostics Advanced Technologies for Global Research. “The combination of
diagnostics and therapeutics is opening new doors in the fight against cancer
and other life-threatening diseases. Through the application of molecular and
cell biology to understanding disease, we can provide pharmaceutical companies
with more advanced tools to develop more optimal drug therapies for cancer
patients.”
“Our collaboration with GE complements Lilly’s
research and development strategy of tailored therapeutics to find the right
dose of the right medication at the right time for patients. Through our
collaboration with GE Healthcare and GE Global Research, we hope to identify
biomarkers for two of our targeted cancer therapeutics agents by examining
patient tissue us in order to determine which patients are most likely to
respond to the medications and just as importantly which are not,” said Dr.
Richard Gaynor, MD, vice president, cancer research and global oncology platform
for Eli Lilly and Company.
The agreement between GE and Lilly will provide
GE with access to clinical trials. In turn, Lilly will have access to GE’s
advanced technologies in automated tissue-based image analysis and molecular
reagents. These tools can be used during drug development to aid Lilly in
evaluating the effectiveness of their drug candidates and potentially select
patients for future trials.
In addition to helping Lilly identify patients
for future trials, the diagnostics tools GE is providing also have the potential
to greatly reduce the time and cost of cancer drug development.
The collaboration with Lilly is consistent with
GE Healthcare’s Early Health Vision, which is about transforming healthcare
delivery from a focus on treating lat disease to a focus on adopting an Early
Health model of care, where prevention, pre-disease detection, and early
diagnosis are the key drivers.
GE Healthcare has a strong portfolio of in vivo
diagnostic imaging technologies and molecular contrast agents to assist with the
detection and diagnosis of cancer, and expanding this strength toward in vitro
diagnostics is a natural extension of this strategy.
(Ref: The Chronicle Pharmabiz dated October
11, 2007)
Metropolis To Start Operations In US,
Thailand With Investment In JV, Acquisition
The Mumbai based leading diagnostic chain, Metropolis, is
expanding its international operations into the US and Thailand markets. The
company is investing Rs 5 crore in a joint venture in the US and Rs 10 crore for
an acquisition in Thailand. Metropolis expected to start it's business
operations in these countries by mid of November 2007.
In India, the company has plans to set up five more new
centres across the country. Metropolis currently provides various services to
its customers such as clinical laboratory medicine, radiology and imaging
services, hospital management, central laboratory services for clinical trials,
site management services, home health services, preventive health check ups and
remote pathology testing services.
Metropolis has received accreditation from ISO, NABL, CAP
(college of American pathologiests) and registration for CLIA, USA, reiterate
that meet stringent national and international quality requirements - imperative
in a vital service sector like healthcare.
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories (NABL) accreditation is formal recognition of the technical
competence of a testing or calibration laboratory for a specific task, which is
based on third party assessment. NABL accredited laboratories emerge as a member
of global family of accredited laboratories. Its six labs have received NABL
accreditation and three more are expected to get soon.
Speaking to Pharmabiz, Ameera Patel, executive
director, said "We are on continuous expansion mode and are entering the US
market through joint venture with the initial investment of Rs 5 crore.
Simultaneously, in the Thailand market, we are going for an acquisition with a
majority stake. Our both deals are progressive well and should be completed by
the mid of November 2007. In the month of October we have commenced our South
Asian operation. We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
European company for the advanced radiology service."
The company is engaged in various activities like pathology
testing services, preventive healthcare, clinical trials, public-private
partnerships, hospital laboratory management and home health services. "We are
investing close to Rs 10 crore for setting up our own lab at Johannesburg by the
mid of 2008" Patel added.
(Ref: The Hospital Equipment & Solutions dated November 2007)
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