ACT Genomics Holdings Co Ltd, a precision cancer treatment solution provider, opened its Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) laboratory in Hong Kong today (July 4) as part of its strategic plan to meet growing demand for cancer genomic profiling services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
 
     The new laboratory is located at the Hong Kong Science Park. Measuring about 7 000 square feet, the laboratory is supported by a workforce responsible for sales, medical science and research and laboratory work, and is equipped with dual sequencing platforms (Ion GeneStudio S5 System and NextSeq 550 System) that boast both speed (quick turnover time for clinical reports) and throughput (high specimen volume or high sequencing depth for research purposes). It is designed and built to serve the clinical, pharmaceutical and research communities in the city and Asia, and also aspires to capture the tremendous opportunities in the Greater Bay Area in future. 
 
     Founded in Taiwan in 2014, ACT Genomics provides cancer patients with personalised genomic information based-treatment plans through its cutting-edge NGS platform, medical reports and integrated services. The platform is capable of detecting multiple genomic alterations using a single tissue sample within a single test run.
 
     When used together with sophisticated bioinformatics analysis tools, curated proprietary medical informatic databases and data visualisation technologies, it can match identified mutations with not only approved therapies but also targeted therapies in clinical trials, thereby facilitating "precision medicine" treatment.
 
     At the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of ACT Genomics, Dr Chen Hua-chien, said, "With over 31 000 new cancer cases in Hong Kong every year, it is crucial for cancer treatment solutions to stay on the cutting edge, which is the mission of ACT Genomics. We are here to transform the existing cancer treatment model and make cancer more manageable. Our NGS platform provides physicians with an essential reference for prescribing the most appropriate and effective treatment to a patient. We intend to draw from our successful experience in Taiwan and replicate it in Hong Kong with the help of this new world-class NGS laboratory."
 
     Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Charles Ng said, "Biotech is one of the innovation areas that is growing rapidly in Hong Kong. The Greater Bay Area is a huge market with a population of 71 million people. As the city is being positioned as the global innovation and technology hub within the Greater Bay Area and with our established business and legal systems, Hong Kong offers a convenient platform for international biotech and other laboratories to manage their operations across the Greater Bay Area."
 
About ACT Genomics
 
     ACT Genomics is an innovation-driven cancer solution provider in Asia with offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. With its NGS technology and experienced bioinformatics team, it provides optimal cancer treatment planning, cancer relapse and drug resistance monitoring, cancer risk assessment and immunotherapy evaluation to medical professionals. Its team specialises in biomarker identification, underlying disease mechanism discovery and genetic alteration exploration. Pharmaceutical communities also benefit from its expertise in identifying targets for drug development, stratifying patients for clinical studies and delineating drug responses. For more information, please visit www.actgenomics.com.
          
About Invest Hong Kong
          
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
 
     For event photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157709399200936.

Ends/Thursday, July 4, 2019
Issued at HKT 18:14

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