MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Perthera, Inc., a McLean, VA-based precision medicine company, announced a partnership with Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) to offer precision medicine services at no-cost for patients who have been diagnosed with lung cancer. The service includes comprehensive molecular analysis of a patient’s tumor leveraging the expertise of various medical specialists including oncologists, medical researchers and computational biologists who work as partners on the patient’s cancer care team. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the U.S., with almost 160,000 Americans expected to die from it in 2016, accounting for approximately 27 percent of all cancer deaths.
Andrew Mignatti, CEO and president of Perthera, said that precision medicine has often been wrongly defined as the equivalent of genomic medicine. “Understanding the patient’s genomic makeup is a very significant part of the precision medicine analysis, but it is hardly enough,” he said. “In addition to genomic analysis, for example, patients who use our program will have proteomic testing so that protein-level and protein activation level changes, which are often more relevant to treatment response, can be identified. In addition to quantitative analysis by tissue testing and computer analysis, Perthera provides medical expertise by its own team, and also provides dedicated service in response to the patient’s needs and requests.
Emanuel Petricoin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder of Perthera said the company’s unique multi-omic-based precision medicine service provides the broadest molecular analysis that a patient can get using commercial testing platforms. He said that “the benefit to the patient and their treating physicians is that the more actionable information they obtain, the more chances of identifying a successful treatment option for each patient.”
“We are excited about the potential of this effort to increase access to this type of testing,” said Jennifer C. King, PhD, Director of Science and Research, Lung Cancer Alliance. “Now, more than ever, having detailed knowledge about the characteristics of a tumor is a critical component to determining a patient’s most effective treatment options and this program makes that a reality no matter where that patient may be.”
Patients, loved ones and others who are interested in the program can learn more at www.lungmatch.org. There will also be a Facebook Live session with more details on December 5, at 1:00 EST at LCA’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lungcanceralliance
ABOUT PERTHERA, INC.: Perthera is a founder- and venture-backed precision medicine company based in McLean, VA, that has achieved more than 1,000 case histories since it was founded about five years ago, often working in an alliance with cancer advocacy agencies as well as hospitals, community oncology practices and academia. In every patient instance, the Company seeks to become the precision medicine partner on their cancer care team, providing the widest, deepest and most independent range of service possible.
ABOUT LUNG CANCER ALLIANCE: Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA), the highest rated lung cancer charity in the country, is committed to saving lives and accelerating research and policy while empowering people living with or at risk for lung cancer. LCA provides live, professional support, referral and information services to patients, their loved ones and those at risk for lung cancer; conducts national awareness campaigns attacking the stigma of the disease, spreading the word about risk and screening and educating those diagnosed about options and where to go for help; and advocates for multiple millions in public health dollars for lung cancer research.
