GE HealthCare and Roche Diagnostics have entered into a Memorandum of  Understanding (MOU) that will leverage the strengths and resources of both companies to bring innovative  solutions and increase access to precision care to cancer patients in key markets in Southeast Asia, Korea,  Australia and New Zealand.  

This collaboration aims to combine GE HealthCare’s leadership in enterprise care solutions in oncology with  Roche Diagnostics’ strength in advanced pathology lab solutions including digital pathology to provide more  accurate and comprehensive diagnostic solutions across the care continuum in oncology.  

Cancer continues to exert a significant burden on economies in Asia Pacific. Lung and breast cancer are the top  two cancers in Asia1 with high mortality rates – lung cancer accounts for 20.9% of cancer deaths in Asia while  breast cancer accounts for 5.8%. However, early diagnosis can significantly improve the prognosis for patients,  with a majority of patients with lung cancer and breast cancer surviving their disease for five years or more, if  diagnosed in its earliest stages.2,3 

The collaboration between GE HealthCare and Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific will seek to enable more precise  and timely detection of both diseases and will aim to reduce diagnosis and treatment delays that can impact  survival rates. GE HealthCare’s extensive portfolio in Imaging and oncology care pathways complemented with  Roche Diagnostics’ expertise in Digital Pathology will help improve accuracy, enhance multidisciplinary team  collaboration, provide advanced image analysis through artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure remote access to  pathologists for cancer diagnosis. This has the potential to lead to reduced costs to healthcare professionals and  faster and more accurate diagnosis, which could lead to timely and more tailored treatments for patients. 

Dr Anthony Lawrence, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer for GE HealthCare in ASEAN, Korea, Australia, and  New Zealand said: “This collaboration with Roche Diagnostics in Asia Pacific marks a significant step forward in  our commitment to building a comprehensive ecosystem in oncology with complementing solutions from  partners in adjacent fields who are also leaders in their disciplines. Together, we aim to provide innovative end to-end solutions across the entire care pathway – from screening, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring – and set  new benchmarks in healthcare accessibility and quality, ultimately contributing to healthier communities  across the region.”  

Christopher Chiam, Asia Pacific Head of Digital Health Solutions, said: “At Roche Diagnostics, we are committed  to introducing innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by patients today, so that they can live  longer, better lives. Through this collaboration we will help improve early detection and personalized treatment  and ultimately enhance patient access to latest healthcare solutions and improve outcomes. We are excited to  collaborate with GE HealthCare in our efforts to expand patient access to diagnostic and imaging technologies in  Asia.”