Press Release.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mike Duff
(703) 647-6214
mduff@alssa.org

 

Spring Meeting Assess Emerging Role of Diagnostics and Opportunities

Alexandria, VA (May 4, 2011) — Wall Street likes molecular diagnostics, Dr. Peter Lawson, an equity research analyst with Mizuho Securities USA told attendees at ALSSA’s Spring Meeting on May 3 in Boston.

According to Dr. Lawson, Mizuho is telling investors:

  • molecular diagnostics is one of the fastest growing areas in the healthcare sector;
  • diagnostics will be a gating or controlling factor in better delivery of, wider access to and improving the quality of healthcare while lowering its costs;
  • molecular diagnostics has a highly favorable risk/reward profile;
  • diagnostic stocks will command higher market multiples and higher valuations;
  • they recommend overweighing the industry in growth portfolios.

Calling molecular diagnostics a disruptive technology, Dr. Lawson said that the molecular diagnostics market is projected to grow at a 10–15 percent rate. Market drivers include the aging population; increasing access to healthcare; increasing wealth and emerging healthcare markets in China, India and Brazil; and investments in new technologies as a means to reduce healthcare costs.

Dr. Lawson’s presentation was complemented by Dr. Stephen Little, Vice President of Personalized Healthcare at QIAGEN. Among other things, Dr. Little told attendees that we are entering the age of molecular information that will improve our health and lives and help us to understand things such as why medicines don’t always work and how we can develop better therapies.

Dr. Little’s presentation focused on the use of a companion diagnostic (CDx) to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from a particular therapy, and explained that QIAGEN has chosen a partnership with pharma as the most attractive alternative. Dr Little outlined three stages of a companion diagnostic — identifying biomarkers, developing approved CDx, and selling the CDx — and their relationship to drug development, and also described the FDA’s expectations of a companion diagnostics and what pharma looks for in a CDx partner. Overall, he said that the opportunity is substantial, and that success requires a consideration of content, platform and distribution.

Other speaker in the day-and-a-half program program included:

  • Martin Madaus, formerly President & CEO of Millipore Corporation and Roche Diagnostics.
  • Mike Little, Global Head of Diagnostics Development at Novartis.
  • Professor Ranjay Gulati of the Harvard Business School
  • Russell Teagarden who spoke in place of Rob Epstein, Chief Technology Officer of Medco.
  • Patrick Sluss of Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospital.

For more information regarding ALSSA’s Board of Directors contact Mike Duff, President of ALSSA, at 703-647-6214. More information regarding ALSSA can be found at www.alssa.org.

ALSSA is the primary trade association for companies that develop and market technologies and solutions that enable scientific discoveries worldwide and applications which benefit society and lead to advances in healthcare, industrial innovation, and a safe and clean environment.

ALSSA members provide the “tools” and “solutions” essential to conduct research, testing, discovery and product development in a wide range of industries and applications including:


  • Pharmaceuticals and Drug Discovery
  • University and Scientific Research
  • Biotechnology
  • Forensics
  • Chemicals and Chemical Processing
  • Molecular Diagnostics Testing
  • Food Safety
  • Environmental Testing
  • Medical and Life Science Research

 

# # #
Press

Join ALSSA Today - Click here for more information.

“Membership in ALSSA provides its members with tremendously valuable resources to increase their ability to maximize their value propositions. Their meetings have become the place to meet, learn, discuss — and enjoy being part of this great industry.”

Peer M. Schatz
Chief Executive Officer
QIAGEN GmbH