Omnyx Joins the White House and the American Society for Clinical Pathology to Globalize the Fight Against Cancer
Big news today from Omnyx in partnership with the White House Office of Science of Technology Policy, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Cancer Society, Union International Cancer Control, Sakura, Roche and Pfizer. ASCP pathologists in collaboration with digital pathology and laboratory support will provide pathology consults for patients in Africa. A great example of humanitarian pathologist/pathology organization support in collaboration with government and several industry partners! Excited to see how this progresses and the lives affected by US pathologists and government/industry colleagues. And on International Pathology Day no less!
Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa Global Initiative Highlights Importance of Pathologists on International Pathology Day
PITTSBURGH, November 18, 2015 – Omnyx, LLC, a joint venture of GE Healthcare and UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), has joined with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and a cross-sector coalition of industry, non-profits and professional societies in a global initiative to help provide patients in underserved areas of Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti access to rapid cancer diagnostics and appropriate care and treatment.
Cancer is a critical public health problem in Africa. Approximately 650,000 people in Africa develop cancer annually, and about 510,000 cancer deaths occur annually due to limited treatment. More than one-third of the cancer deaths in Africa are from cancers that are easily preventable and/or treatable, if detected early. But Sub-Saharan countries simply lack the personnel, training resources and infrastructure needed to respond to the growing cancer challenge.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is less than one pathologist per one million people. Swaziland has one pathologist serving the entire country’s population of two million. In contrast, the United States has more than 60 pathologists per one million people. Without diagnostics, clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa are unable to effectively screen for cancer, diagnose disease and develop care plans. This results in the majority of cancers not being diagnosed until they reach an advanced stage of disease.
“Technology serves as an enabler of clinician collaboration, and we believe patients benefit the most,” said Mamar Gelaye, CEO of Omnyx. “We are proud to be engaged in an effort that has such a positive impact on rural/community health in Africa.”
Omnyx is providing its whole slide imaging scanners and workflow software as part of the Partners for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment in Africa Global Initiative to enable pathologists in one part of the world to quickly view tissue images from patients thousands of miles away. ASCP pathologists in the US will view processed biopsy slides from patients in Africa, diagnose the patient and upload their findings within 24-72 hours.
ASCP, the world’s largest professional membership organization for pathologists and laboratory professionals, will lead the coalition, which will include the internationally-renowned Partners in Health led by public health expert Paul Farmer, MD; the American Cancer Society; the Institute for Health Measurement and Evaluation; Union International Cancer Control; Sakura Finetek; Roche Diagnostics; Pfizer and Omnyx, LLC.
“By leveraging leap frog technology and the skills and experience of ASCP members, clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa can have access to quality real-time cancer diagnostics, allowing them to detect cancers and subsequently treat patients more quickly,” said ASCP Chief Executive Officer, E. Blair Holladay, PhD, SCT(ASCP)CM. “ASCP and partners will develop and administer an economical, scalable, secure, and reliable cloud-based infrastructure and telemedicine platform to register specimens, record findings, and disseminate diagnostic results to local clinicians who can implement patient management. Through this commitment, local clinicians in Sub-Saharan Africa will be able to provide a level of diagnostic care currently scarce or unavailable locally.”
To date, ASCP has secured a $26.5 million commitment of infrastructure, funding and in-kind resources for the project.
About Omnyx
Omnyx, LLC, a joint venture of GE Healthcare and the UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), is helping to transform the way pathologists worldwide work and collaborate. Through our Precision Solution™ that includes smart scanners, brilliant software and transformative consulting, all members of the cancer care team can work together to enhance patient outcomes. Our vision is a world in which efficient and effective cancer diagnosis helps guide personalized patient care. Omnyx® products are for in vitro diagnostic use for specific clinical applications and are intended for research use only on other applications. For more information, visit www.Omnyx.com.
Source: Omnyx, LLC
