LONDON, ONT. -- The Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre at London Health Sciences (LHSC) will be the first of its kind in Canada allowing for genetic diagnostics for personalized treatment options, and it was made possible by a large donation.
The centre was made possible by $3-million donation to the London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF) from Archie Verspeeten and his late wife Irene Verspeeten.
Genetic diagnostics allows for more personalized treatment options from patient to patient which leads to better care and improved outcomes.
“The creation of the Verspeeten Clinical Genome Centre will have a profound effect in the lives of patients with complex diseases not only in our community, but also in communities around the world,” said John MacFarlane, President and CEO at LHSF.
Genomic profiling helps create treatment options for patients with diseases such as cancer, epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders and developmental disabilities.
“This is the first facility of its kind in Canada,” said Dr. Bekim Sadikovic, director of the centre. “It will advance the standard of care by providing access to the world-leading molecular genetic diagnostics and personalized medicine to cancer patients in southwestern Ontario.”
The centre will initially focus on genomic sequencing for pancreatic cancer in conjunction with the Baker Centre for Pancreatic Cancer.
