How would you characterize cancer genetics' primary areas of expertise?
Cancer Genetics is an oncology-focused diagnostics and precision medicine company. We develop and market proprietary diagnostic and prognostic tests for difficult-to-diagnose cancers including lymphomas, leukemias, kidney cancer, and HPV-associated cancers. Our reference laboratories utilize our proprietary cancer diagnostic tests and pharmacogenomic assays, as well as more common biomarker-based tests, to offer comprehensive genomic profiling of cancers for the patient and clinician. In addition to our clinical diagnostic testing, Cancer Genetics provides testing and technology to help support testing for pharma and biotech companies for clinical trials. These companies are able to leverage CGI's oncology testing for patient selection and stratification, monitoring, and treatment decision for their clinical trials.
Lan Wang, MD
Medical Director,
Cancer Genetics
Professional
I joined Cancer Genetics as the Laboratory Medical Director in 2007. Prior to joining CGI, I worked as attending hematopathologist in the Department of Pathology, served as member of the cancer care committee, and served as cancer liaison physician at the Chilton Memorial Hospital in
New Jersey.
Education
MS, University of Washington
MD, China Medical University
Personal
I am a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist, with specialty certification in hematopathology. I have a deep interest in diagnostic testing for lymphoma and leukemia as well as solid tumor pathology. I am also involved in community service for patient care, work in a local community hospital pathology lab, and participate in the surgical case review and cancer care committees in the hospital.
My hobbies include reading, painting, and traveling—not much time for them!
What are the major categories of solutions that cancer genetics provides for its customers?
Our business falls into three general categories: Clinical Services, Biopharma Services, and Discovery Services. Through our Clinical Services, we provide hospitals and cancer centers with state-of-the-art genomic testing. Our Biopharma Services offer clinical trials support to biotech and biopharma customers, and our Discovery Services aid research organizations in the discovery and early development of new, cutting-edge technologies and methods to better personalize treatment or understand/predict cancer progression.
How have those solutions evolved in recent years to address changing customer needs?
As our knowledge of cancers continues to evolve, the promise of personalized medicine has become a reality. As we learn more about the genomic composition of a tumor and how it affects disease progression, potential outcomes, and treatment response, we have the opportunity to provide better, more targeted therapies and treatments based on each individual's unique cancer. So as our understanding of these cancers evolves, our testing must also evolve. We make a priority of staying at the forefront of knowledge and innovation so that we can ensure our testing capabilities are evolving as quickly as our understanding of cancer and genomics.
One of our recent areas of focus has been developing and commercializing next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based tests, which allow for the detection of clinically significant mutations and genomic aberrations that are present at very low levels within a tumor. Through our robust research and development program, as well as our joint-venture with Mayo Clinic, OncoSpire Genomics, we've successfully developed and launched NGS panels for hematological malignancies, and have several more in the pipeline.
What do you see as the role of DNA-based cancer diagnostics in healthcare going forward?
DNA-based cancer diagnostics will continue to see widespread adoption and become the standard of ethical care moving forward. By better diagnosing and prognosing cancers, we can help clinicians personalize the way they manage and treat patients to reduce adverse reactions and unnecessary treatments and improve outcomes. In an era where the cost of oncology care continues to rise, and cancer treatments are needed on an increasingly global basis, tests have to demonstrate scientific value, improved clinical outcomes, and clear economic benefit. We are working aggressively on multiple trials and studies to show how the use of CGI tests can improve outcomes, reduce costs, and help drive targeted treatment selection more efficiently.
The company recently released a comprehensive genomic test to diagnose leukemia.Can you tell more about the updated MatBA-CLL/SLL test?
In August 2014 we launched an updated version of our proprietary MatBA test for chronic lymphocytic lymphoma/small lymphocytic lymphoma. The updated test reports on additional validated regions that have clinical significance for prognosis and risk assessment for CLL and SLL patients. The additional genomic regions allow us to better stratify patients with CLL/SLL. Since then, we have launched the only comprehensive NGS-based mutation panel for CLL that further aids with risk assessment and treatment selection.
In the study used to validate these biomarkers, our researchers found that without these additional regions, 7.9% of patients who had a poor prognosis were improperly categorized as having a favorable outcome. By adding additional poor prognostic markers, the updated MatBA-CLL/SLL is able to better identify patients with high-risk disease who would otherwise have been categorized as having a good/intermediate prognosis. The test clearly differentiates between those patients with a poor prognosis, those with an intermediate prognosis, and those with a good prognosis and therefore no need for immediate treatment.
CGI has made a number of acquisitions, signed a number of agreements, and entered into collaborations during the last couple of years. how does this benefit the company—and its customers?
Cancer Genetics has established strong collaborations with a number of leading research institutions and cancer centers throughout the country, including Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, the National Cancer Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, Columbia University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and others. These collaborations are an integral part of our business model, as they allow us to work with other leading experts to demonstrate the validity and utility of our tests and provide us access to a broader range of patient samples and data for test development and validation.
The expansion of our global footprint and capabilities through selective acquisitions is another important part of our strategy and positioning. In Q3 of 2014 we closed two important acquisitions: Gentris in North Carolina and Shanghai and Bioserve Biotechnologies in Hyderabad, India. Gentris' unique expertise in pharmacogenomics and history of providing superior clinical trials support strengthens our biopharma services, and allows us to add pharmacogenomics testing to our offerings for biotech and biopharma customers. These acquisitions are also significant for CGI's global positioning. We'll be able to leverage Gentris' Shanghai laboratory and Bioserve Biotechnologies' laboratory and partnerships in India to drive global adoption of our unique tests and provide global clinical trial support to our biotech and biopharma customers. These acquisitions mean that we can provide more comprehensive and global capabilities for genomic testing and development.
In particular, what role will collaborations with pharma companies to foster companion diagnostics play in Cancer Genetics' strategy in the near future?
Personalized medicine and companion diagnostics go hand-in-hand. Recent advances in biotechnologies and the fundamental understanding of molecular pathways of many cancers accelerated the development of much more effective, targeted cancer therapy. The scientific and pharmaceutical communities are driving the adoption of more efficient, cheaper, and targeted care to personalized medicine. The sector of companion diagnostics is growing at a fast pace to meet the demand, facilitating new drug discovery and development. CGI laboratory has positioned itself in the center of the market by offering comprehensive, frontline, high-quality companion diagnostic services. CGI, through its proprietary molecular and cytogenetic testing, has established many collaborations with pharmas, and participated in large clinical trials. CGI will continue to foster our strength to be a key supplier in the field of companion diagnostics, paving the way to personalized medicine.
The expansion of our global footprint and capabilities through selective acquisitions is another important part of our strategy and positioning. In Q3 of 2014 we closed two important acquisition: Gentris in North Carolina and Shanghai and Bioserve Biotechnologies in Hyderabad, India. Gentris’ unique expertise in pharmacogenomics and history of providing superior clinical trials support strengthens our biopharma services, and allows us to add pharmacogenomics testing to our offerings for biotech and biopharma customers. These acquisitions are also significant for CGI’s global positioning. We’ll be able to leverage Gentris’ Shanghai laboratory and Bioserve Biotechnologies’ laboratory and partnerships in India to drive global adoption of our unique tests and provide global clinical trial support to our biotech and biopharma customers. These acquisitions mean that we can provide more comprehensive and global capabilities for genomic testing and development.
In particular, what role will collaborations with pharma companies to foster companion diagnostics play in Cancer Genetics’ strategy in the near future?
Personalized medicine and companion diagnostics go hand-in-hand. Recent advances in biotechnologies and the fundamental understanding of molecular pathways of many cancers accelerated the development of much more effective, targeted cancer therapy. The scientific and pharmaceutical communities are driving the adoption of more efficient, cheaper, and targeted care to personalized medicine. The sector of companion diagnostics is growing at a fast pace to meet the demand, facilitating new drug discovery and development. CGI laboratory has positioned itself in the center of the market by offering comprehensive, frontline, high-quality companion diagnostic services. CGI, through its proprietary molecular and cytogenetic testing, has established many collaborations with pharmas, and participated in large clinical trials. CGI will continue to foster our strength to be a key supplier in the field of companion diagnostics, paving the way to personalized medicine.
