New York City, New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Amsterdam-based Philips have launched a research collaboration specifically aimed at cancer.
The organizations will focus on using precision diagnostics to dig deeper into what causes cancer at the single-cell level. By taking such a sharp focus, MSK and Philips will work to uncover the best ways to resolve the differences both in and between tumors.
Though their emphasis is on oncology, for right now the organizations are honing in on one specific type of cancer: pancreatic.
“It’s one of the deadliest cancers at hand,” Vice President of Philips Research Hans Hofstraat told MedCity in a phone interview. “The challenges are huge from the point of view of diagostics. It’s often too late, the disease has spread to vital organs and surgery does not help anymore.”
Indeed, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering, pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death in America. Because it’s often not detected until late in the game, looking for early indicators is crucial.
Though the initial focus will be on pancreatic cancer, Hofstraat stressed that the organizations’ research could be put to use in other cancer types as well. “While we are finding out more about pathways that drive disease and find indications we can use to treat patients more effectively, we will, without doubt, learn a lot of things that can be used for treatment and diagnosis of other cancer types,” he said.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Together on this initiative, genomics experts from Philips will team up with Scott Lowe, chair of the cancer biology and genetics program at the Sloan Kettering Institute at MSK, and Christine Iacobuzio-Donahue, associate director for translational research at the David M. Rubenstein Center for Pancreatic Research at MSK.
“We have created a very nice ecosystem where we are collaborating with both people that have fundamental insights and people that deal with patients,” Hofstraat said.
To achieve their goal, Philips and MSK will utilize the Philips IntelliSpace Genomics platform, a precision care-focused application that provides comprehensive data and a complete molecular picture.
The platform is both simple to use and unique in its capabilities, Hofstraat said. It can be applied for use to a variety of cancer types — not just pancreatic.
“In principle, it is a versatile tool that can be used in research setting but can also be used in a more clinical and general application setting,” he said.
With a qualified team, valuable technologies and top-notch research, MSK and Philips will work to improve the lives of oncology patients.
Photo: mathisworks, Getty Images
