Croatia third in Europe to get tumor gene profiling lab

ZAGREB, 21 March (Hina) – The Institute for Personalised Medicine and the National Laboratory for Tumor Gene Profiling were inaugurated at a ceremony in the Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb on Tuesday, making Croatia one of the 3 countries in Europe, alongside Germany and Switzerland, to boast such cutting-edge facilities.

These advancements will enable oncologists to tailor targeted and most effective therapies for each patient.

This achievement stems from a five-year project in personalized medicine in oncology, aimed at enhancing treatment outcomes, jointly conducted by the Ministry of Health and the Clinical Hospital Center Zagreb (KBC Zagreb) in collaboration with Roche, which injected nine million euros in the project.

In addition to establishing and equipping of the Genetic Testing Laboratory, the project also involved the creation of the National Institute for Personalised Medicine, along with the education and training of staff.

The second phase will involve the launch of a Croatian oncology database to monitor treatment outcomes, with genetic testing extending to encompass a wider array of tumor sites.

The Institute for Personalised Medicine was inaugurated by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

With the opening of this laboratory, KBC Zagreb has emerged as the third medical center in Europe to house such pioneering facilities. In addition to catering to the needs of Croatian patients comprehensively, it will also provide services to neighboring countries.

Plenković: Croatia emerges as regional leader in application of personalised medicine

Prime Minister Plenković expressed pride in Croatia being a regional leader in the application of personalized medicine, emphasizing its pivotal role in the global fight against cancer, an affliction increasingly impacting people worldwide.

“This laboratory in the field of oncology positions Croatia at the forefront globally. I thank Roche for choosing Croatia for the implementation of this pivotal endeavor,” said Plenković.

Plenković stressed that currently €800 million are being invested in healthcare in Zagreb for the renovation of almost all hospitals and public health institutes. Of this amount, €467 million are being invested in KBC Zagreb.

Laboratory has capacity to serve needs of neighboring countries

KBC Zagreb director Ante Ćorušić said that the newly opened institute and laboratory will change the treatment paradigm not only in oncology but also in neurology and cardiology, as treatment approaches will now be at the molecular and genetic levels. He also said that the cost of a single test is around €1,800, and the pharmaceutical industry should bear the cost of ineffective therapies.

The head of the Institute, Fran Borovečki, projected it will take them a month or two to reach full operational capacity.

Presently, the institute boasts a team of seven experts, with an annual testing capacity of 5000 samples, expandable to 10,000. Anticipations run high for the Zagreb laboratory to address the needs of neighboring countries as well, offering a suite of advanced methodologies such as liquid biopsy for comprehensive tumor genome profiling from blood samples, as well as the total DNA in the cell.