Foundation Medicine Strikes Deal for Testing in China

Foundation Medicine has struck a deal with an overseas firm to offer some of its assays in China. Under the terms of the deal reached with Shanghai-based WuXi PharmaTech Inc., the Cambridge, Mass.-based Foundation has licensed its FoundationOne assay to be performed in China. The FoundationOne assay forms complete genomic profiling of solid tumor cancers. The testing will be performed at WuXi Genome Center. Foundation Medicine will also offer other products to Chinese biopharmaceutical firms to assist them in their research. “The development and use of targeted therapies and comprehensive diagnostic tests in oncology are expected to grow significantly in China,” said Michael J. Pellini, M.D., Foundation Medicine’s president and chief executive officer. “WuXi’s leadership position in China makes it an ideal partner as Foundation Medicine expands its global reach to support targeted drug development and clinical entry into this rapidly growing market.” The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Although the standalone laboratory sector in China is growing by some estimates as rapidly as 70 percent per year as more of its consumers demand cutting-edge health care services, the WuXi Genome Center is the only CLIA-certified facility in the country. According to Foundation officials, the company is working with more than 20 biopharmaceutical firms and is providing genomic profiling services to more than 100 studies this year. In another business development, Foundation announced it has struck a deal to capture and analyze comprehensive genomic, clinical outcome, and cost data from patients. New Jersey-based COTA will provide the analysis for patients who have undergone testing with the FoundationOne assay. “Eliminating inefficiencies and improving patient care requires actionable insights supported by complete, integrated data,” said Eric Schultz, COTA’s chief executive officer.  “This unprecedented collaboration with Foundation Medicine incorporates the most comprehensive genomic profiling data with COTA’s unique real-world, longitudinal clinical outcomes and cost of care data to provide insights that enable both physicians and payers to move toward value-based treatment and reimbursement practices.” The analysis will begin initially for patients who are suffering from non-small cell lung cancer but will eventually expand to other cancer patients as well, according to company officials. “The capture of clinical outcomes resulting from treatment selection informed by our comprehensive genomic profiles is essential to demonstrating the clinical and economic value of FoundationOne and to expanding utilization and access for these tests,” Pellini said. Takeaway: Foundation Medicine is expanding its overseas reach by tapping into one of the largest markets outside of the United States.