The CAS Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS) and the Royal Philips Electronics Ltd. announced on August 29 the establishment of a joint laboratory to conduct advanced research in molecular medicine. A memorandum of understanding has been signed for the joint venture.

The lab will be located in the CAS itute of Health Sciences (IHS), which was co-established by SIBS and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. The research emphasis is to provide novel solutions for early diagnosis of diseases and monitoring their subsequent medication. Early diagnosis and personalized medical treatment are believed to bring patients more comfort and create better clinical effects.

Dr. Rich Harwig, Chief Technology Officer of Philips, says that this cooperation to set up a joint research laboratory with IBS is a valuable example of the "open innovation" approach of Philips that has been persistently pursued in the purpose of bringing the benefits of molecular medicine to patients. Besides, as an international company with the ambition to provide healthcare solutions that are tailored to local needs, we are delighted to be partnering with a Chinese institute that within the space of a few years has become renowned for its life sciences research, he adds.

Prof. GAN Rongxing, SIBS vice president, says this initiative serves as a good example for further cooperation between SIBS and European counterparts, which could give Chinese researchers access to the Philips' global research institutions, especially European labs. The joint forces will stimulate the combination of IHS' expertise in translational biomedical research and Philips' excellence in development of advanced medical instruments, and further boost the evolution of new healthcare solutions and create benefits for the whole world.

Research at the joint lab will be mainly focused on biomarker studies and in-vitro diagnostic technology. The biomarker is a special molecular compound or molecular imbalance associated with the presence and severity of a disease. In-vitro diagnostics is a clinical test intended for sensitively detecting the disease biomarkers gained from the specimens such as blood, urine or saliva taken from the human body. The new-generation in-vitro diagnostic technology will be used to closely monitor the health state of the patients almost at every stage of the clinical treatment, including routine disease screening, diagnosing, treatment and disease management.