São Paulo, Brazil, 17 February 2025 – MGI Tech Co., Ltd. (“MGI”), a company committed to building core tools and technologies that drive innovation in life science, established a partnership with Oncoclínicas&Co, through OC Medicina de Precisão, which comprises Genomics, Pathology and Big Data laboratories, to expand access to cutting-edge genomic tests and strengthen diagnostic capabilities in the field of oncology in Brazil.
The challenge of tackling cancer is increasing significantly in the country. According to a study¹ conducted by the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), cancer-related mortality has overtaken that of cardiovascular diseases in 727 Brazilian cities. This research, published by the scientific magazine The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, analysed death causes across Brazil’s 5,570 municipalities over a 19-year period. So, monitoring neoplasms is essential to detect the disease at an early stage and increase the effectiveness of treatments, allowing for more positive clinical outcomes.
The main objective of the agreement is, therefore, to enable technological solutions that reduce costs, speed up diagnostic processes and promote faster and more accurate therapeutic decisions. These advances will contribute to a more efficient and equitable healthcare system, benefiting patients and professionals in the field.
“Genomics is transforming the way we understand and treat cancer, and this partnership is a major milestone for oncology in Brazil because it helps raise awareness among patients and professionals about the positive impact of oncogenetics on health promotion, possibilities and benefits of a more precise and personalized medicine, to facilitate the access to advanced technologies and to expand genetic diagnostic capacity”, Carlos Carpio, Senior Commercial Director for MGI Latin America and General Manager for Brazil, explains.
“This strategic partnership with MGI accelerates the laboratory advancements in genomic medicine. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and expert support, our laboratory can significantly enhance productivity, reduce operational costs, and generate higher-quality data. This collaborative approach empowers our laboratory to offer faster, more accurate diagnostic testing, ultimately improving patient outcomes and accelerating the development of personalized treatments”, Fernanda Koyama, Manager of Genomics and R&D in OC Medicina de Precisão at Oncoclínicas&Co, said.
The Oncoclínicas&Co has now another advanced technology for cancer diagnosis with the addition of the medium-throughput DNBSEQ-G400 genomic sequencer. Based on MGI’s DNBSEQ technology, it can complete the sequencing process rapidly and enable researchers to detect genetic predispositions to cancer and identify specific gene mutations and determine effective oncology treatment through comprehensive genetic profiling of tumours.
The new technology is available at Oncoclínicas&Co in São Paulo. In 2024, approximately one thousand samples were sequenced per month in the institution’s Genomics department, totalling around 12,000 samples for the year. Of these, 60% are germline panels for the diagnosis of cancer syndromes and 40% are somatic panels, focused on therapeutic decisions based on genomic biomarkers.
“Over the past two years, OC Medicina de Precisão has been relentlessly investing in process efficiency and the adoption of technologies that allow us to become increasingly competitive—serving a growing number of private patients, strengthening and expanding partnerships with pharmaceutical companies, and being the first choice for health insurers when it comes to precision medicine. In this way, we contribute to expanding public access to cutting-edge medicine and ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system,” Rodrigo Alvarenga, Operations Executive at Oncoclínicas&Co, highlights.
Expanding operations in Brazil Genomic research has been growing exponentially in Latin American countries, leading to an increased demand for Next-Generation Sequencing tests in cancer diagnosis. MGI, which operates in 100 countries, launched a Customer Experience Centre in São Paulo in 2024, to provide clinical laboratories and healthcare institutions with a space for demonstrations aimed at optimizing education and experience with the company’s technology. Highly skilled professionals conduct certified training sessions, demonstrations, evaluations and local support for new applications.
In the same year, MGI entered into a strategic agreement with Dasa and Sabin Group to enhance health diagnosis with genetic sequencing in Brazil. The partnership includes new technologies for conducting genetic tests to diagnose cancers, rare diseases and other conditions with greater precision, advancing personalized medicine in the country.
Reference
1Transition towards cancer mortality predominance over cardiovascular disease mortality in Brazil.
2000–2019: population-based study. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X2400231X.
Accessed on November 6, 2024.
About Oncoclínicas&Co
Oncoclínicas&Co is the largest group dedicated to cancer treatment in Latin America, with a specialized and innovative model focused on the entire oncology care journey, combining operational efficiency, humanized care, and high specialization through a medical team composed of over 2,900 specialist physicians with an emphasis on oncology. With its mission to democratize cancer treatment, it offers a comprehensive system that integrates outpatient clinics with high-complexity cancer centres. The company operates 144 units across 40 Brazilian cities, allowing high-quality access in all regions it serves, aligned with world-class standards.
Focusing on technology, precision medicine, and genomics, Oncoclínicas performed approximately 635,000 treatments in 2023. It is the exclusive partner in Brazil of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, one of the world’s leading cancer research and treatments centers. The company also owns Boston Lighthouse Innovation, a bioinformatics firm based in Cambridge, United States, and holds shares in Medsir, a company dedicated to the development and management of clinical trials for independent cancer research, based in Barcelona, Spain. Recently, Oncoclínicas expanded its operations to Saudi Arabia through a joint venture with the Al Faisaliah Group, bringing its mission to beat cancer to a new continent and providing advanced oncology care on a global scale by combining oncological hyper specialization with innovative treatment approaches.
The company is part of the IDIVERSA index, launched by B3, highlighting companies committed to gender and racial diversity. For more information, visit: www.grupooncoclinicas.com
