Changi General Hospital and Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) jointly launch centre to conduct mass spectrometry-based clinical testing and research for personalised treatment
SINGAPORE, 27 January 2021 – The Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre (SC3), a public-private partnership by Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Shimadzu (Asia Pacific), was officially opened today by the Guest of Honour, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. A satellite laboratory of CGH, the initial SC3 operations will focus on developing and validating various clinical applications and research to improve clinical diagnostics, which lead to better clinical care for patients with hypertension and other chronic diseases.
Professor Ng Wai Hoe, Chief Executive Officer, CGH, said, “The coming together of the clinical and research expertise of CGH and SingHealth with Shimadzu’s diagnostic and analytical capabilities will contribute to medical care and treatment in Singapore. At SC3, we will co-create clinical applications through mass spectrometry technologies and instruments that will enhance the standard of care for our patients.”
Mr Tetsuya Tanigaki, Managing Director, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, highlighted, “Excellence in Science is not only a motto but a way of life in the Shimadzu Family. And it is with this philosophy that we, along with CGH, are powering the SC3 lab with futuristic technologies such as mass spectrometry and Analytical Intelligence among several others, to ensure that we deliver more accurate and faster outcomes to patients. This Centre is an example of how we can collaborate to establish a pioneering partnership for Advanced Healthcare. This is the first time that Shimadzu is working with a public hospital to establish a Clinomics Laboratory in Singapore. Our efforts will certainly transform the healthcare landscape of not only Singapore and the Asia Pacific region but also of the world.”
Using a more accurate method for analysing clinical samples
Leveraging the technology of liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) powered by analytical intelligence, the SC3 seeks to improve clinical diagnostic accuracies for patients.
In clinical laboratories, immunoassays are the main methodology for conducting clinical diagnostic tests to measure vitamins, hormones, and antibodies. However, different hormones often share similar structures, which can lead to inaccurate measurements using immunoassays. LC-MS/MS technology is rapidly gaining recognition in clinical laboratories for analysing clinical samples, as it offers higher analytical specificity and sensitivity compared to immunoassays.
“The benefit of LC-MS/MS technology over the immunoassay is that our patients need not provide the same amount of blood samples for multiple tests. As it is also a highly specific and sensitive technology, the mass spectrometer can measure multiple test compounds in a single sample with greater accuracy. Patients will be comforted to know that the tests are more accurate and the sample required from them will be significantly reduced,” said Dr Daryl Hee, Senior Manager, CGH who is in charge of the SC3.
Providing precision and personalised medicine for Singaporeans
One in four adult Singaporeans suffers from hypertension, which is a leading cause of heart disease and strokes. It is now understood that hypertension is due to either excessive vasoconstriction (tightening of blood vessels) or excess salt and blood volume1. Precise measurements of hormones can identify which spectrum of hypertension a patient has, and which medications are best suited for that patient. In recent years, hormone measurements also identify many patients with a treatable and curable form of hypertension (Primary Aldosteronism).
Clinical Assistant Professor Troy Puar, Principal Investigator and Consultant, Endocrinology, Changi General Hospital said, “Although treatment is available for hypertension, many patients still have uncontrolled blood pressure. Treatment of hypertension is not precise as each patient is different and their cause of hypertension may differ. When one medication does not work, doctors may choose to increase the dose, add another medication, or switch to another medication. By measuring precisely the hormone measurements that define the type of hypertension that each patient has from the outset, doctors are able to know which antihypertensive medication works best for the patient, thereby enabling delivery of precise and personalised medicine.”
Mr Prem Anand, Executive Officer and Senior General Manager, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, said, “Today, precision and personalised medicines are being fuelled by the merger between analytical and medical technologies. These technologies are more relevant today than ever before, as more and more researchers are now using them concurrently. The fact that Shimadzu is the only company in the world to be a leader in both analytical and medical technologies, gives us the unique opportunity to develop truly synergistic solutions for Advanced Healthcare. The launch of this Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre is yet another reiteration of how we all can collaborate towards Contributing to Society Through Science and Technology”.
Achieving faster turnaround time for test results
With the SC3, it is envisioned that clinical tests based on the LC-MS/MS technology for adult diseases will no longer need to be routinely sent to overseas centres for processing.
By developing the capability to conduct such tests in Singapore, local and even regional patients can receive their test results with a significant reduction in waiting time from approximately two weeks to one or two days.
Serving as a regional reference centre
In the long term, the SC3 aims to offer validated tests to patients in Singapore as a clinical laboratory and to serve as a regional reference centre in Asia Pacific for developing mass spectrometry solutions for wider clinical applications for chronic conditions and other areas of clinical diagnostics, such as drug monitoring. Measuring the efficacy of medication for patients with other common conditions, such as diabetes, can allow for more personalised treatment options, which can lead to better patient outcomes.
The SC3 is built to Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) laboratory specifications and located inside the facilities of Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) at Singapore Science Park 1, where a team of clinicians from CGH and scientists from Shimadzu will jointly work to develop mass spectrometry-based solutions for clinical applications.
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat officially opened the Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre today. From left to right: Mr Tetsuya Tanigaki, Managing Director, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, DPM Heng, Prof Ng Wai Hoe, Chief Executive Officer, Changi General Hospital
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat witnessed the signing of the Research Collaboration Agreement between Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) by Prof Ng Wai Hoe, CGH CEO (second from right) and Mr Tetsuya Tanigaki, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Managing Director (second from left). The signing was also witnessed by Adj Assoc Prof Siau Chuin, CGH Chairman, Medical Board (extreme right), and Mr Prem Anand, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Executive Officer and Senior General Manager (extreme left).
Deputy Prime Minister Heng views the mass spectrometer, which detects and measures multiple test compounds in a single sample with greater accuracy, at the Centre.
About Changi General Hospital
Changi General Hospital (CGH) is an academic medical institution with over 1,000 beds serving a community of more than 1 million people in eastern Singapore. With a wide range of medical specialties and services, it is helmed by an experienced and skilled team of healthcare professionals who consistently deliver positive health outcomes and care for patients.
About Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd
Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) Pte. Ltd. is a subsidiary and the Asian headquarter of Shimadzu Corporation, which was founded in 1875 in Kyoto, Japan. The subsidiary was established in 1989 in Singapore as a distribution centre providing analytical solutions, scientific equipment, testing and NDI machines, balances and medical equipment to a wide range of laboratories. A fast-paced growth of business in the region has seen the opening of 4 subsidiaries in India, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam with application specialists, technical and sales engineers operating across 18 countries throughout the region including, Singapore, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Additionally, the company operates via a wide and carefully selected network of local distributors in every country in the region.
The company’s instruments are relied upon by researchers all across Asia from large multinational organisations to local academic research universities and a long list of local, state and central laboratories. Through adoption of scientific inventions and cutting-edge technologies, Shimadzu (Asia Pacific) provides its customers with the highest quality in product standards and delivers excellent customer support services in accordance with its motto – ‘Excellence in Science’.
- 1 Laragh J.H; Sealey J.E. (2011) The Plasma Renin Test Reveals the Contribution of Body Sodium-Volume Content (V) and Renin-Angiotensin (R) Vasoconstriction to Long-Term Blood Pressure. American Journal of Hypertension. 1165.
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Dr TAKASE, Kei Professor, M.D. Ph.D.,Diagnostic Radiology, Tohoku University Hospital,said, ” I am very happy to see that Shimadzu is creating new methods for Aldosterone and Renin screening at the Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre in Singapore. We need innovations in Advanced Healthcare in such areas of medicine in order to better handle the challenges of Hypertension globally.
Both Changi General Hospital and Tohoku University are doing cutting-edge research for primary aldosteronism. As a medical professional involved in the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension caused by the adrenal gland, I look forward to working with Shimadzu-Changi General Hospital Clinomics Centre in such areas in the future.”
Dr Masafumi Inoue, a scientist at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), says,”I would like to congratulate Shimadzu on the launch of this milestone lab. The Shimadzu-CGH Clinomics Centre will certainly help transform the healthcare landscape of Singapore and APAC.Being a diagnostic scientist, I am very happy that such developments are taking place in the region. Shimadzu is known for providing world-class innovations and technologies and we need them to open more centres like these to advance healthcare.”