Bayer, Thermo Fisher to Transform Cancer Care

In a bid to advance precision medicine in oncology, Bayer and Thermo Fisher Scientific have joined forces to develop next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based companion diagnostic assays (CDx). This cancer diagnostics innovation offers decentralized genomic testing with swift turnaround times that could potentially expedite patient access to tailored treatments.

“The collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific perfectly complements Bayer’s precision medicine strategy and fits our ambition to further advance the field of genomic testing and personalized treatment in Oncology, providing the right treatment to the right patient at the right time,” said Christine Roth, Executive Committee Member of Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division, and Head of Bayer Oncology Strategic Business Unit.

While the financial details of this partnership were not disclosed, this collaboration marks a significant milestone in advancing cancer diagnostics, offering the potential for expedited access to personalized treatments for patients. By harnessing the power of NGS technology and decentralized testing, the alliance aims to enhance patient care by ensuring timely and accurate identification of individuals who may benefit from precision cancer therapies.

NGS emerges as an optimal tool for advancing precision medicine into routine clinical practice by furnishing comprehensive biomarker data through a multi-analyte approach, as reported by Illumina. The CDx assays, leveraging Thermo Fisher's Oncomine Dx Express Test on the Ion Torrent Genexus Dx System, promise to identify patients who could benefit from Bayer's expanding range of precision cancer therapies, as reported by Bayer. With the ability to deliver results from tumor or liquid biopsy samples in as little as 24 hours, these assays mark a significant leap forward in diagnostic efficiency.

“We are committed to developing new treatment options for patients with unmet medical needs, reducing exposure to treatments that are not as likely to provide benefit or can spare them unnecessary side effects,” added Roth.

Similarly, Garret Hampton, President of Clinical Next-Generation Sequencing and Oncology at Thermo Fisher Scientific, echoed his company’s commitment to improving patient outcomes through rapid NGS-based solutions. He also highlighted the combined expertise of Thermo Fisher in developing distributable CDx tests and the groundbreaking turnaround time offered by the Genexus Dx System. “The combination of our experience in developing distributable CDx tests with the game-changing turnaround time offered by our Genexus Dx System, allows clinical teams to quickly gather results to better understand the impact of these therapies. Pairing this with Bayer’s growing precision oncology portfolio, we are well-positioned for the potential to help ensure that eligible patients can be quickly matched with the right treatment,” he said.

This collaboration comes at a time when cancer remains one of the foremost threats to public health. During the peak of the COVID-pandemic, it was observed that one out of every six deaths was caused by cancer and not by SARS-CoV-2, Luis Alberto Velez, CEO and Founder, Theranomics told MBN.  

“The International Cancer Observatory, which is part of the WHO, recorded nearly 200,000 new cancer diagnoses in Mexico in that year. Of these, 90,222 individuals passed away within the same year.  Various international institutions, such as the WHO, the NIH and the Marie Curie Institute, have established that if the current incidence of cancer continues, one out of every three people will have or have had cancer by 2040,” said Velez.