Some 15-20% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are HER2 positive.
Keystone
As part of its personalised medicine strategy, Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche has launched a diagnostic tool for breast and gastric cancer patients with specific HER2 genetic mutations.
The new VENTANA HER2 companion diagnostic assayExternal link was launched on Tuesday and promises to identify more quickly and effectively the HER2 biomarker in breast and gastric cancer to manage the diseases with targeted therapies.
HER2-positive breast cancer is considered more aggressiveExternal link than many other types of breast cancer as it is less likely to be sensitive to hormone therapy.
Nearly 2.1 million cases of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year, and more than 620,000 people will die from the disease. Some 15-20% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are HER2 positive.
The HER2 biomarker is also found in some gastric cancers, which is one of the most common leading causes of cancer deathExternal link in the world. Early diagnosis can play a pivotal role in reducing mortality.
The VENTANA assay is designed to be completed within a day, giving clinicians the ability to get results back quicker than the other common methods for confirming HER2. Results can be read using light microscopy, eliminating the need for a specialised fluorescence microscope.
Holy grail
The development of companion diagnostics is an important part of Roche’s focus on personalised medicineExternal link. This is considered the holy grail of medicine whereby targeted treatments are employed based on the unique characteristics of each patient’s disease rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
In the cancer treatment arena, pharma companies are shifting from the traditional way of treating cancer focused on tumour location to treating the mutation directly, offering more opportunities for precision.
Radioactive antibodies that target cancer cells are used for medical diagnostics with PET (positron emission tomography) imaging or for targeted radioimmunotherapy.
Conventional methods for radiolabelling proteins take much longer and are difficult to automate. The method developed by the University of Zurich researchers uses UV light to produce radiolabelled antibodies in a mere 15 minutes that can be used for cancer imaging or therapy.
A patent application for the new procedure has been submitted and there are plans for commercial development.
More
More
The pharma holy grail: drugs for you, designed by you
This content was published on
In the age of sensors, wearables, and artificial intelligence (AI), almost everything can be customised for the individual.
Swiss institute hosted informal talks between Russians, Ukrainians and Americans
This content was published on
The Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) has hosted 10 meetings between Russian and Ukrainian interlocutors since the start of the war.
Automated driving on Swiss motorways is theoretically possible from March
This content was published on
It will be theoretically possible to hand over the steering wheel to technology but no such system has been submitted for official approval yet.
Heated atmosphere at Swiss rally against AfD politician Alice Weidel
This content was published on
Around 250 people demonstrated "against the right" and the German AfD politician Alice Weidel on Saturday afternoon in Einsiedeln.
This content was published on
The Ethos Foundation recommends that shareholders vote against all compensation-related items at the Annual General Meeting on March 7.
Top Swiss firms close to reaching gender quota in boards
This content was published on
The proportion of women on the boards of directors of the fifty largest listed companies in Switzerland currently stands at 28%.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Too few pharma companies prioritise access to medicines
This content was published on
Novartis and Roche both get a boost in the 2018 ranking of progress in expanding access to medicines by the biggest pharmaceutical companies.
New ultrasound technique improves breast cancer detection
This content was published on
Zurich-based researchers have developed a new ultrasound technique that can help distinguish benign breast tumours from malignant ones.
This content was published on
About 40% of Geneva's residents are non-Swiss, and many speak English. ESCA helps expats diagnosed with cancer understand their treatment options.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.