March 08, 2016

Medical University of Bialystok continues efforts to internationalize with its announcement of a research partnership with German Cancer Biotechnology Company, Indivumed GmbH.

Bialystok, POLAND – The Medical University of Bialystok (the “University”) announced today its partnership with Indivumed GmbH (Indivumed), a global precision medicine company based in Hamburg, Germany. With the signing of this agreement, the University continues its commitment to internationalization by developing scientific and academic partnerships with countries across the globe. The University has made great progress in this effort by signing bilateral agreements for scientific exchange with institutions in Europe, the United States and Japan.

Today during a ceremony with Bialystok city officials the University signed a three (3) year renewable agreement with Indivumed to establish a state-of-the-art cancer database comprised of molecular and clinical data on solid tumor tissue to be collected within the University’s hospital network. The University is one of two national research and clinical centers of excellence within Poland and is committed to transform diagnosis and treatment of cancer by utilizing world class precision medicine tools, such as the Indivumed cancer database.

“It is a very important moment for the city of Białystok” said the president Prof. Tadeusz Truskolaski. “Białystok is proud of the Medical University. Our future is connected with development of universities and science. This collaboration is a big step towards finding a cure for cancer. Congratulations to the Medical University of Bialystok and Indivumed on the occasion of signing the Cooperative Agreement – because together we are stronger than each one separately.”

With its global network of 15 clinical and research institutions, Indivumed is partnering to make possible precision medicine in cancer around the world. With the signing of this agreement the University will join with the largest cancer clinics for breast, lung and GI-tract in Germany, including the University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, as well as Geisinger Health System, one of the largest rural health in the United States, and leading U.S. research universities including the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Center in Washington, D.C. The University joins with Indivumed in making possible the preservation of gene and protein expression of a patient’s tumors, allowing for the most accurate diagnosis and treatment of an individual’s cancer. Indivumed has created one of the only global molecular and clinical databases that provides for this multidimensional examination of cancer and thus the most reliable precision medicine resource.

University Rector Prof. Jacek Nikliński expressed his great satisfaction with the collaboration between the University and Indivumed GmbH: “This Agreement creates possibility to obtain know-how from the German partner and implement biobanking procedures of the highest international standards in Białystok. It also gives a chance to organize a reference center for Poland and creates an opportunity to be a part of international research programs on personal therapy for cancer.”

“I am profoundly grateful to the leadership of the University for their willingness to join in our pioneering efforts to cure cancer through precision medicine” said Prof. Hartmut Juhl, founder and CEO of INDIVUMED. “Patients from the University’s clinical network will join with the over 24,000 patients worldwide that have become a part of the Indivumed global network. These patients have contributed to date over 600,000 biological samples and 4.5 million clinical data points related to their individual cancers.” Juhl went on to say. “This information will unlock the secrets to the diagnosis and treatment of every patient’s cancer through the precision of individualized medicine.”

The partnership will start immediately recruiting patients and physicians and includes the collection of many types of tumor tissues and associated liquids and clinical data for cancers such as pancreatic, colorectal, lung, breast and many others.

About Medical University of Bialystok
Medical University of Bialystok is a renowned, dynamically expanding institution of higher education, distinguished among Polish academic centers. In 2013, in the 'parametric evaluation' conducted by the Polish Ministry of Higher Education, all three faculties of the University received prestigious categories "A". In 2012, in the first edition of a contest announced by the Polish Ministry of Higher Education, the Centre for Innovative Research (CIR) of the Medical University of Bialystok was awarded the status of the Leading National Research Centre. The research areas of CIR include the diseases of civilization: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and type 2 diabetes and central nervous system diseases, which are the major global public health threat. Every year, the University places high in nationwide university rankings. It received prestigious awards as a University with the highest scientific efficiency and institution of higher education 'breeding' the best young professionals. The University realizes many scientific activities meaningful to the region and the country. Currently it cooperates with 21 foreign academic and research centers.

About Indivumed GmbH
Indivumed GmbH founded in 2002 in Hamburg German, has established the world’s leading cancer database, combining molecular and clinical data from targeted tumor tissue and associated biological materials. By controlling for pre-analytical variability associated with resected tumor tissue, Indivumed provides one of the world’s only comprehensive gene and protein profile databases of cancer, supporting the development of new companion diagnostics and therapeutics. Indivumed’s standardized biospecimen collection process has enabled the recruitment of over 24,000 patients around the world, securing in excess of 600,000 samples and more than 4.5 million clinical data points. Indivumed offers a broad range of specialized research services to biopharmaceutical companies and academia and actively supports cancer biomarker development. With its subsidiary IndivuTest GmbH, Indivumed provides high-quality tissue-based tumor analysis to improve personalized cancer therapy strategies in the clinical routine.

For more information, please visit www.indivumed.com.

Press contact:
Medical University of Bialystok
Kilinskiego 1 Str.
15-089 Białystok, Poland
www.umb.edu.pl
e-mail: dzialnau@umb.edu.pl

Indivumed GmbH
Marketing & PR
Tel. +49/40 413383-16
E-mail: news@indivumed.com
Falkenried 88, Bldg. D - 20251 Hamburg / Germany
www.indivumed.com

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Press Contact:

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Germany

Telephone: +49 (40) 41 33 83-0
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E-mail: press@indivumed.com