Thermo Fisher Scientific announced it signed a partnership agreement with the newly formed Terasaki Innovation Center (TIC) to facilitate the discovery and development of new pathways and tools to diagnose and better manage transplant patients, the company said in a press statement.
The TIC mission is to continue the research of Dr Paul I Terasaki, transplant pioneer and founder of One Lambda, which is now Thermo Fisher’s transplant diagnostic business. Specifically, the TIC seeks a better understanding of the mechanism of allograft rejection, the consequence of the recipient’s alloimmune response to nonself antigens expressed by donor tissues.
Through this partnership, Thermo Fisher will have the first option to produce new technologies developed by the TIC for use by clinicians, laboratories, and transplant centers worldwide. TIC research operations will be headed by Dr Jar-How Lee, chief scientific officer, and Ricardo Ordonez, TIC president.
“There is a tremendous amount of goodwill in the transplant community for what my father did, the people he helped, and the person he was. I am glad to support the Terasaki Innovation Center, and its key leaders, Dr. Jar-How Lee and Ricardo Ordonez, to continue his efforts of improving the health and lives of transplant patients worldwide. I am excited about our partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific and One Lambda, the company my father started. As the global leader in transplant diagnostics, they will play a key role in helping TIC move the legacy of my father forward,” said Dr Mark Terasaki, chairman of the Board of TIC and associate professor at the University of Connecticut.
“We’re proud to partner with the Terasaki Innovation Center to advance our common mission to improve transplant patients’ lives,” said Nicole Brockway, president of the transplant diagnostics business for Thermo Fisher. “This demonstrates our continued commitment to research and innovation to provide new solutions that address the challenges of today and the future.”
As the global leader in transplant diagnostics for more than thirty-five years, Thermo Fisher’s transplant diagnostics business is committed to improving the lives of patients worldwide by driving innovation and delivering quality products. The company’s comprehensive product portfolio includes a broad range of antibody detection assays and post-transplant monitoring solutions, including the novel Molecular Microscope Diagnostic System, HLA typing products, laboratory instrumentation and software industry-leading customer support.
