Thermo Fisher Scientific’s NGS technology to be used in US cancer study

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced that its targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology is to be used in a new nationwide cancer research programme in the US.

The National Cancer Institute Molecular Analysis for Therapy Choice study will enroll up to 1,000 patients across the US, with genetic sequence information collected using Thermo Fisher's Oncomine reagents and Ion Torrent sequencing system.

As many as 3,000 tumour samples will be sequenced, with eligible programme participants to be assigned to one of several trial arms based on the genetic alterations associated with their tumour, rather than their type of cancer.

The trial will include approximately 20 or more different drugs from multiple pharmaceutical partner companies.

Mark Stevenson, executive vice-president and president for life sciences solutions at Thermo Fisher, said: "A study of this scale would not be feasible using the traditional one-sample, one-biomarker testing approach."

This comes after the firm announced the opening of a new customer experience centre in the Middle East last month to support the growing life sciences market in the region.