Delivering Personalized Medicine Through Molecular Diagnostics and Innovation
Interpace Diagnostics provides molecular tests and pathology services to physicians and hospitals for various types of cancer. Earlier this year, the company found success in AI’s Global Excellence Awards 2019 where they were selected as the Most Innovative Molecular Diagnostics Company 2019 – Northeast USA. Following this win, we caught up with Chief Commercial Officer, Greg Richard who kindly provided us with a glimpse into the award-winning services the team consistently delivers.
Since their inception, Interpace Diagnostics has developed and commercialized molecular diagnostics tests for early detection of cancer in lesions where risk is uncertain by routine clinical methods. Today, Interpace Diagnostics currently has five marketed products for various indications: ThyGeNEXT, ThyraMIR, PancraGEN, RespriDx and BarreGEN. Going into further detail, Greg begins by informing us of the key qualities of each of these products and explaining what each one is used for.
“ThyGeNEXT and ThyraMIR are used to determine whether or not a patient has risk factors for thyroid cancer; it helps assist physicians in making decisions regarding surgical intervention. PancraGEN, the company’s pancreatic cancer risk classifier, is performed on an integrated molecular pathology platform and assists physicians in identifying those patients with pancreatic cysts, solid lesions, and biliary strictures that are at risk of developing pancreatic or biliary cancer. PancraGEN has been used in over 40,000 patient samples and represents the largest data repository of molecular data on pancreatic cysts in the U.S. RespriDx is used to differentiate new lung tumors from those that represent metastasis from other organs to help drive therapeutic decision making. Finally, BarreGEN is used to evaluate mutational load in samples taken from the esophagus to identify patients that are at risk of progressing to esophageal cancer.” As for how these products are implemented and which industry experts the Interpace Diagnostics team approaches, Greg touches on the services and experiences each leader brings to the table and how they use the firm’s products.
“For our Thyroid products, ThyGeNEXT and ThyraMIR, we call primarily on Endocrinologists, ENT’s, Pathologists, Endocrine Surgeons, and Otolaryngologists. We approach them directly via our own Commercial team; identifying them from industry trade conferences and specialty physician databases.
“For pancreatic cancer, we call on Gastroenterologists and specifically those that perform Endoscopic Ultrasound Fine Needle Aspirates of the pancreas. These ‘Endoscopists’ are the primary source of our samples for molecular testing of pancreatic neoplasms. Additionally, we work closely with Pathologists who often perform routine first line tests prior to reflexing to molecular testing and PancraGEN. For BarreGEN, we essentially call on the same constituencies given that the procedure to collect the sample is similar to that used for PancraGEN. For RespriDX, we call on Thoracic Surgeons and Oncologists who focus on Lung cancer as a specialty within the overall oncology market.”
Overall the firm’s mission is to provide important supplemental information following common first line tests to help mitigate diagnostic uncertainty. Providing the firm with the ability and opportunity to fulfil this mission is the innovative, committed and passionate team which forms the backbone of Interpace Diagnostics. When discussing the internal culture, Greg is keen to highlight the significant role the teams play in the overall success of the firm.
“All 100 members of our team are critical to the success of the Company; from our lab Operations team to Client Services, Commercial, and our Corporate Leadership team, we are all focused on our primary mission – to eliminate diagnostic uncertainty and improve patient care and outcomes. We often recognize individuals and teams for extraordinary performance or contributions to a particular focus or priority for the Company.”
Looking ahead to what the future holds for the firm, the team at Interpace Diagnostics hope to build upon their advancements within the industry and their accomplishments, especially following their recent success in Acquisition Intl.’s (AI) Global Excellence Awards 2019 where they were righteously awarded the accolade Most Innovative Molecular Diagnostics Company 2019 – Northeast USA. Bringing the interview to a close, Greg signs off by revealing the exciting plans which lie in the pipeline for the firm, noting how the company will complete clinical studies and publish papers in the years to come.
“Moving forward, we will be launching product extensions and expanding indications for some of our current products. In addition, we are starting large-scale studies that will further validate our current products. Lastly, we will also be publishing papers in peer-reviewed publications and will be speaking at and participating in several key industry sponsored conferences including the American Thyroid Association and the American College of Gastroenterology.”
Ultimately, Interpace Diagnostics is consistently growing and at a rapid rate. The future looks promising for the company as they continue to dedicate their time and services to improving patient care through unparalleled insights which have been provided by their proprietary suite of products. As such, Interpace Diagnostics’ success has been a result of the confidence that their customers have in that information.
Company: Interpace Diagnostics
Web Address: www.interpacediagnostics.com
