Strand Genomics Inc. Announces Major Initiative With HCG To Provide Personalized Genomics Services For Oncology

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Strand Genomics Inc. (Strand), a global leader in clinical genomics, has announced a major initiative with Health Care Global Enterprises, Ltd (HCG) to provide personalized genomics services for oncology. Strand's clinical genomics solutions for oncology offered by the Strand-Triesta Center for Cancer Genomics (Strand-Triesta) include both cancer risk assessment from saliva DNA as well as molecular diagnosis, treatment options and clinical trials recommendations based on tumor DNA. Beginning this weekend, representatives from Strand and HCG will be discussing their model for providing genomic services to healthcare providers globally at the 2014 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO) in Chicago.

The world's largest commercial adoption of genomics-based tumor profiling with HCG, the only dedicated cancer care network in India with 27 centers and serving over 100,000 new patients annually, will capitalize on Strand's end-to-end clinical solutions of tests and interpretation services based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the proprietary StrandOmics™ platform. These diagnostic tests will support physicians and their patients with accurate and advanced tumor profiling of a large number of genes for "actionable" mutations.  These tests will also help physicians to analyze the risk predisposition and stratification in cancer patients and their family members.

Dr. Vijay Chandru, Strand's Chairman & CEO, said, "Strand is committed to expanding clinical genomics as a new paradigm for clinical decision support. This scale of adoption is unprecedented and enables affordability, but more importantly, the more cancer genomes we profile, the deeper the insights about cancer we gain. Deeper insights lead to informed decisions in cancer care.  We look forward to continuing our dialogue with other potential partners at ASCO."

Sequencing a tumor using NGS technologies, and thorough analysis of individual patient's DNA variations, will enable physicians to personalize cancer therapy. Such personalized approaches will improve response rates and effectiveness of targeted, chemo- and radiation therapies. Further, genomic tests can detect hereditary risk in family members of cancer patients.   

Strand is expanding its clinical genomics test offerings (as Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs)) and interpretation services to hospitals and diagnostic labs world-wide, through establishing CLIA labs as part of Strand Centers for Genomics and Personalized Medicine.

Visit Strand and Strand-Triesta at Booth #3016 at ASCO 2014 between May 30 and June 3.

About Strand Genomics Inc.
Strand is a new generation healthcare innovation company. Strand's genomics software products are licensed by more than 2,000 research laboratories worldwide. Strand operates on over 25,000-square-feet of state-of-the-art NGS laboratories in Bangalore and has established Strand Centers that serve over 50 hospitals across India with a growing presence in the USA. Strand is a portfolio company of Biomark Capital Partners, a San Francisco-based global fund for health and life sciences. By enabling DNA sequence-based diagnostics and clinical genomic data interpretation using a strong foundation of computational, scientific, and medical expertise, Strand is bringing individualized medicine to the world. Strand is headquartered at Bangalore, India and has U.S. offices in San Francisco, California, and Rockville, Maryland.

About HCG
HealthCare Global Enterprises Ltd (HCG), the specialist in cancer care, has its headquarters in Bangalore, India and is known to be the only dedicated cancer care network with quality care across 27 centers.

Being named a leader in the area of cancer care for two years in a row has given HCG the exposure and expertise to provide hope to 100,000 new patients every year. After having established itself as a center for advanced, complicated and recurrent cancers, today it is known as the specialist in the field – nationally and internationally. 2011 and 2012 were the years when our work was given global recognition with the 'Leader in Oncology Two Years in a Row' excellence in Indian Health Care Awards. For more information, visit www.hcgoncology.com

About Strand-Triesta Center for Cancer Genomics
Strand-Triesta Center of Cancer Genomics based at Bangalore India, is a partnership between Strand and Triesta Sciences, a unit of HCG. Triesta Sciences is CAP and NABL accredited state-of-the-art one point solution for oncology diagnostics, biomarker, translational research, laboratory and clinical research services. Strand-Triesta aims to make genomics based diagnostics in cancer effective, accessible and affordable. Strand-Triesta combines Strand's capabilities with those of Triesta Sciences, the largest network of oncology diagnostic service providers, to redefine the standard of Cancer care in India.

For more information, visit www.strandgenomics.com or follow us on Twitter: @StrandLife

SOURCE Strand Genomics Inc.