Trade News
Orlando, Florida, 31 July 2002
Molecular Diagnostics and the future of healthcare discussed at AACC annual meeting
Media Briefing by Roche Diagnostics Previews New Products and Advances
Today at a news conference by Roche Diagnostics at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), special guest speaker Dr. Ellen Jo Baron of Stanford University discussed developing and future applications of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology in the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases. Dick Aderman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roche Centralized and Molecular Diagnostics, outlined the developing use of PCR in broader healthcare contexts, such as targeted monitoring of patients genetically predisposed to certain diseases and the identification of genomic-based drugs. He covered new products in development that will allow laboratories to take advantage of emerging opportunities in PCR and provide clinicians with actionable health information.
Known for her breakthrough discovery of a new organism (Bilophila wadsworthia, which has been isolated from cases of acute appendicitis), Dr. Baron, Associate Professor and Director, Clinical Microbiology/Virology Lab at Stanford University, outlined how PCR is addressing the current and future needs of microbiology/virology laboratories in the U.S.
"We are looking forward to using PCR technology in many more areas, including virus detection, unculturable agents, rapid detection of agents of septicemia and of bioterrorism, antibiotic resistance and genomovar identification," Dr. Baron explained. "The limited number of commercial tests available today has led to the widespread use of 'home-brews,' creating a growing need for more analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) across more disease areas."
Dr. Baron went on to highlight the many issues labs are facing across the U.S., including labor shortages and the need for faster, more automated and more reliable testing methods.
Dick Aderman explained how PCR innovation and automation have created a new gold standard for labs to perform "real-time PCR," which will help to usher in a new age of healthcare.
"The possibilities with PCR technology have barely been scratched. Diagnosis, therapy and therapy monitoring will remain important elements in medical care, but more and more patients will be cared for proactively," said Aderman. "With the advent of molecular diagnostics, we are now able to test for genetic predisposition to certain diseases, provide targeted monitoring to predisposed patients, and actively manage these patients."
Laboratories across the U.S. can look forward to a host of new Roche Diagnostics products and automated testing systems to help with labor shortages and timing issues, as a result of the company's numerous innovative partnerships and unparalleled research commitment -- at $740 million CHF.
Roche Diagnostics announced that in the coming months it will be launching a family of "next-generation" automated solutions and an expanded ASR menu. Roche will also be the first to market a micro array for diagnostics with the launch of the P450 chip in the first quarter of 2003.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technology is a Nobel prize-winning in vitro technique that imitates nature's ability to replicate DNA. It has been hailed as one of the most powerful tools of molecular biology.
Since acquiring the rights to PCR technology in 1991, Roche has led the industry in overall R&D development, becoming the pre-eminent leader in molecular diagnostics. PCR's exquisite sensitivity makes it possible to diagnose infectious agents, including HIV and hepatitis viruses, earlier and to detect genetic variations that may predispose people to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, PCR is the leading nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) for the screening of blood and blood products.
About Roche: Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and vitamins. Roche's products and services address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing well-being and quality of life. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals, and laboratories worldwide. Roche Diagnostics Corporation, based in Indianapolis, is the North American headquarters for the diagnostics business of the company. Roche Diagnostics' website is located at www.roche-diagnostics.com.
Molecular Diagnostics and the future of healthcare discussed at AACC annual meeting
Media Briefing by Roche Diagnostics Previews New Products and Advances
Today at a news conference by Roche Diagnostics at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC), special guest speaker Dr. Ellen Jo Baron of Stanford University discussed developing and future applications of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) technology in the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases. Dick Aderman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Roche Centralized and Molecular Diagnostics, outlined the developing use of PCR in broader healthcare contexts, such as targeted monitoring of patients genetically predisposed to certain diseases and the identification of genomic-based drugs. He covered new products in development that will allow laboratories to take advantage of emerging opportunities in PCR and provide clinicians with actionable health information.
Known for her breakthrough discovery of a new organism (Bilophila wadsworthia, which has been isolated from cases of acute appendicitis), Dr. Baron, Associate Professor and Director, Clinical Microbiology/Virology Lab at Stanford University, outlined how PCR is addressing the current and future needs of microbiology/virology laboratories in the U.S.
"We are looking forward to using PCR technology in many more areas, including virus detection, unculturable agents, rapid detection of agents of septicemia and of bioterrorism, antibiotic resistance and genomovar identification," Dr. Baron explained. "The limited number of commercial tests available today has led to the widespread use of 'home-brews,' creating a growing need for more analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) across more disease areas."
Dr. Baron went on to highlight the many issues labs are facing across the U.S., including labor shortages and the need for faster, more automated and more reliable testing methods.
Dick Aderman explained how PCR innovation and automation have created a new gold standard for labs to perform "real-time PCR," which will help to usher in a new age of healthcare.
"The possibilities with PCR technology have barely been scratched. Diagnosis, therapy and therapy monitoring will remain important elements in medical care, but more and more patients will be cared for proactively," said Aderman. "With the advent of molecular diagnostics, we are now able to test for genetic predisposition to certain diseases, provide targeted monitoring to predisposed patients, and actively manage these patients."
Laboratories across the U.S. can look forward to a host of new Roche Diagnostics products and automated testing systems to help with labor shortages and timing issues, as a result of the company's numerous innovative partnerships and unparalleled research commitment -- at $740 million CHF.
Roche Diagnostics announced that in the coming months it will be launching a family of "next-generation" automated solutions and an expanded ASR menu. Roche will also be the first to market a micro array for diagnostics with the launch of the P450 chip in the first quarter of 2003.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Technology is a Nobel prize-winning in vitro technique that imitates nature's ability to replicate DNA. It has been hailed as one of the most powerful tools of molecular biology.
Since acquiring the rights to PCR technology in 1991, Roche has led the industry in overall R&D development, becoming the pre-eminent leader in molecular diagnostics. PCR's exquisite sensitivity makes it possible to diagnose infectious agents, including HIV and hepatitis viruses, earlier and to detect genetic variations that may predispose people to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. In addition, PCR is the leading nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) for the screening of blood and blood products.
About Roche: Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-oriented healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and vitamins. Roche's products and services address prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, thus enhancing well-being and quality of life. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals, and laboratories worldwide. Roche Diagnostics Corporation, based in Indianapolis, is the North American headquarters for the diagnostics business of the company. Roche Diagnostics' website is located at www.roche-diagnostics.com.