Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin Joins Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Next-Generation Sequencing Center of Excellence Program
Leading oncology research hospital becomes new member to advance Oncomine™ liquid biopsy and immuno-oncology diagnostics
BERLIN and CARLSBAD, Calif., March 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Thermo Fisher Scientific has named Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin as the newest member of its Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Companion Dx Center of Excellence Program (COEP), an initiative designed to establish strategic collaborations with leading research hospitals and drive adoption of Oncomine assays for future clinical application, and enable precision medicine in the European market.
“The Institute of Pathology at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is very motivated to support the development and implementation of new approaches for identifying molecular characteristics as a basis for precision medicine,” said Professor Michael Hummel, Institute of Pathology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. “We are at the beginning of an exciting new era, and this partnership represents an important component to expedite the application of new assays for the benefit of patient care.”
Under the agreement, Hummel will lead research studies on Thermo Fisher’s Oncomine immuno-oncology and liquid biopsy assays and sequencing platforms. Data from such studies are also intended to be published and shared with the broader scientific community.
With more than 300 years of distinguished history and many Nobel Prize winners, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has a strong heritage of working with leaders in the field to advance medicine and spearhead the latest advancements. Its molecular diagnostics unit currently offers Thermo Fisher’s amplicon-based NGS for patient care and has treated many thousands of cancer patients based on tumor molecular profiles.
The research hospital is also embedded in a broad biomedical research ecosystem, which is sustained by several institutions and companies acting as drivers for advanced biomedical science. A global leader in oncology that helps set clinical guidelines for cancer testing, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin previously partnered with Thermo Fisher on product development projects. It joins a distinguished list of European COEP members, including the Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology at University Hospital Basel, and the Institute of Pathology Heidelberg.
“Thermo Fisher Scientific continues to make strides to partner with leaders in medical oncology to deliver the best Oncomine testing and companion diagnostic products for pharmaceutical and hospital customers,” said Joydeep Goswami, President of Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing and Oncology for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Our growing partnerships with NGS Center of Excellence members underscore our commitment to bring cutting-edge technology to improve patient care.”
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $20 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, deliver medicines to market and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands – Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services – we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive services. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.
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Mauricio Minotta
Thermo Fisher Scientific
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SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific