KEW and the National Foundation for Cancer Research Announce Collaboration to Increase Awareness of CANCERPLEX®
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (June 8, 2016) – KEW, Inc. and the National Foundation of Cancer Research (NFCR) announced today they are jointly working to increase awareness among cancer patients and oncologists about the clinical advantages of genetic testing with KEW’s CANCERPLEX suite of products. KEW provides comprehensive genomic testing services that enable oncologists to make evidence based personalized treatment decisions for their patients.
The purpose of the collaboration between KEW and NFCR is to increase awareness of the value of next-generation sequencing (NGS), and educate patients, their family members and oncologists about the clinical advantages and utility of testing. Currently, numerous oncology drugs targeting specific mutations are being studied in clinical trials. However, oncologists and patients are often challenged in finding trials that could benefit the patient. NGS assists oncologists in efficiently locating a more appropriate treatment for a patient based on the patient’s specific tumor genetics.
KEW’s CANCERPLEX tests utilize next-generation sequencing to analyze 400+ known cancer genes involved in cancer initiation and progression. The CANCERPLEX suite of products produces actionable results in more than 93% of cases with the objective of identifying targeted therapies for stage III-IV solid tumors or for patients who have had unsuccessful chemotherapy. The resulting information from the CANCERPLEX suite of products provides precise, actionable and easy to understand information that can be used by physicians to supplement other patient-specific factors and assist in the determination of targeted therapeutic options.
“We are excited to collaborate with NFCR to make personalized medicine available for all. With access to the CANCERPLEX suite of products, NFCR can assist scientists and researchers in finding game-changing discoveries in cancer treatments,” said Tuan Ha-Ngoc, Executive Chairman of KEW.
Public outreach and education is one of the core values of NFCR’s programs. For more than 43 years, NFCR has been supporting cancer research laboratories and then sharing results with oncologists and patients worldwide. Some of the NFCR-funded scientists have contributed to developing the foundation of today’s personalized targeted therapies and precision medicine.
“KEW’s genetic testing technology and capability in bioinformatics will help to integrate data accumulated from various research and clinical sources into treatment options and cancer care choices, which is highly beneficial to cancer patients and in keeping with NFCR’s long valued efforts in sharing information among scientists, physicians and patients,” said NFCR Chief Science Officer, Michael Wang, MD, PhD.
KEW welcomes NFCR’s support in promoting education and communication to raise awareness of new and impactful options in cancer treatment.
About KEW, Inc.
KEW, Inc. provides comprehensive genomic testing services that enable oncologists to make evidence-driven personalized treatment decisions for cancer patients. Based out of Cambridge, MA, KEW was founded by pioneers of the precision medicine industry, including key contributors to the Human Genome and The Cancer Genome Atlas projects. The CANCERPLEX® suite of products offers flexible panel sizes, the largest of which sequences 400+ cancer genes in solid tumors that are the most relevant to oncology patient care. Specialized panels offer the option to test based on the site of a patient’s tumor or to limit results to FDA-approved therapies. CANCERPLEX not only makes personalized medicine more accessible, it delivers the promise of precision medicine for all.
About the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR)
NFCR is a convener and one of the early funders of applying genetic testing technology, including Next-Gen Sequencing (NGS) to clinical applications to guide personalized treatment for patients. With today’s internet speed of access, NFCR is taking fast actions to promote collaboration and information-sharing. NFCR is dedicated to supporting “high risk/high reward” cancer research and public education relating to prevention, early diagnosis, better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for cancer.
Contact:
KEW, Inc.
Mary Burt
mburt@kewinc.com
www.kewinc.com
NFCR
Keith Spiro
KSpiro@NFCR.org
www.nfcr.org
301-654-1250