Welcome to Talking Precision Medicine (TPM podcast) — the podcast in which we discuss the future of healthcare and health technology, and how advances in data and data science are fueling the next industrial revolution.
What a genuine pleasure to sit with Thierry Bernard, CEO of Qiagen. As I told Thierry, Qiagen is a truly iconic brand for anyone who came up through molecular biology laboratories in the past 30 years. Their products were ubiquitous, and crucial, to the success of our research. In this conversation, Thierry talks about his global vision for precision medicine, and his mantra that we leave no patient behind.
Come on in and have a listen.
Episode highlights:
Introducing QIAGEN and Thierry Bernard
- Thierry Bernard, CEO of QIAGEN, emphasizes the company’s transformative role in making molecular biology accessible worldwide.
- QIAGEN’s innovations, such as the spin column, have simplified DNA and RNA extraction, making these processes foundational in laboratories globally.
- The company’s evolution over 40 years has expanded from enhancing basic molecular tests to becoming an integral part of scientific research, reflected in the common sight of their blue, red, and white boxes in labs.
“I think it’s fair to say that QIAGEN literally democratized access to molecular biology for thousands of labs all over the world. It started more than 40 years ago. And we need to remember, if we close our eyes, that there is probably a before and after QIAGEN in molecular techniques.”
Global Operations and Ethical Commitment
- With a strong global presence, QIAGEN operates major facilities in Germany, the UK, the US, China, and other locations, upholding a commitment to making healthcare universally accessible.
- Their global operations adhere to the ethos, “We leave no one behind,” aiming to bridge health disparities worldwide.
Thierry’s Personal Journey
- With nearly three decades in diagnostics, Thierry Bernard has driven QIAGEN through significant technological shifts, particularly in the areas of liquid biopsies and neurological disorders.
“You might be surprised to learn that I’m not a scientist by background. However, something like 25 years ago, I literally fell in love with diagnostics and its complexity. The fact that you need to combine skills in chemistry, biology, engineering with instrumentation, and also bioinformatics is fascinating to me.”
QIAGEN’s Strategic Partnerships
- QIAGEN is exploring diagnostic applications beyond oncology through partnerships with organizations like Lilly and Neuron23, targeting diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
- Partnerships, such as with Myriad Genetics, extend QIAGEN’s reach into clinical settings, fostering greater adoption of diagnostics.
“I have a key sentence always in my head, which is, if you cannot beat them, join them, always. So that’s very simple.”
Navigating Regulatory Landscapes and Expanding Markets
- QIAGEN adapts to varied global regulatory requirements with strategies tailored for each region, including proactive engagements with regulatory bodies to facilitate smoother approval processes.
- Their dedicated teams for clinical and regulatory affairs are crucial in managing the complex landscape of global diagnostics approval.
“If 10 years ago, we were focusing on the development of the companion diagnostic, now, we try to offer the full journey from research, trials, and the development of the kit itself, towards reimbursement and regulatory approval. And that’s also what makes QIAGEN unique.”
QIAGEN’s Role in Advancing Precision Medicine
- QIAGEN plays a significant role in precision medicine through its 30+ pharma collaborations and 14 FDA-approved companion diagnostics.
- They deliver molecular-based solutions across research, clinical diagnostics, and pharmaceutical development, reinforcing its leadership in PCR, digital PCR, and next-generation sequencing technologies.
AI and Digital Tools in Diagnostics
“We gave the market a quite bold statement six months ago, when I came out and said: “We really want to be the digital tool and diagnostic company.” And I believe in that.”
- QIAGEN is poised to become a leader in digital diagnostics by merging AI with traditional data curation, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of data interpretation.
- AI applications are essential for future diagnostics, including personalizing treatment and optimizing patient stratification.
“QIAGEN will never believe in AI generated data only. […] We believe in the combination of manual data curation, but leveraging AI to make it more efficient. And so for the last 15 years, we have built a tremendous knowledge base, which is mostly fueled by manual data curation. [… ] And over the last 5 years, we have invested into AI techniques to make it quicker, even more accurate, and able to generate and analyze larger quantities of data.”
Future Directions in Precision Medicine
- Thierry Bernard anticipates that precision medicine will soon become routine in clinical pathways, supported by technological advances that reduce costs and increase accessibility.
- He predicts an expansion of precision medicine into broader applications, potentially transforming the management of hereditary diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.
“The genomic revolution has given us access to trillions or more of data, but what’s the relevance of that? […] Basically, with some of our softwares, a clinician literally receives only one page, where they will be able to clearly understand, okay, that next generation sequencing result translates into that therapeutic recommendation. And that’s the way to go.”
This has been Talking Precision Medicine. Please subscribe and share our podcast with your colleagues, leave a comment or review, and stay tuned for the next episode. Until then you can explore our TPM podcast archive and listen to interesting guests from our past conversations.