To honor six cancer survivors featured in its newest international ad campaign, NanoString Technologies, Inc. will donate $6,000 to the American Cancer Society. The “Dear Cancer Researcher†participants courageously shared their personal stories of triumph to help the biotechnology company launch its newest product, nCounter SPRINT™ Profiler, a system that gives researchers the tools and opportunity to think beyond current everyday practice.
“Our newest campaign is unlike what any biotech company has done before. It provides the chance for survivors to tell their personal stories and make pleas to speed up cancer research so that more people can have survival stories,†said Brad Gray, NanoString Technologies president and chief executive officer. “The cancer survivors’ strength and courage is admirable. We want to truly thank them in the best way possible and donate in their honor.â€
One cancer survivor featured in the leading campaign, Nadirah Bray, was diagnosed with stage four cancer at age 33. The life of this San Diego wife and mother came to a halt when her appendix unexpectedly perforated. After an appendectomy and multiple tests, Nadirah received an earth-shattering call from her doctor. She had appendix cancer—an extremely obscure cancer about which very little research has been conducted.
Out of sheer luck, Bray found a doctor in her area that specialized in her obscure cancer and happened to have done extensive research on a unique therapy that saved her life. Today, she is enjoying life as a holistic health practitioner and professional belly dancer.
When asked what faster cancer research means to her, Bray said, “I think it means more people having the opportunity to truly live, to get a second chance, to change things, to become the person you knew you were meant to become. When your life can be taken from you, you realize how important every moment is—how important time is. Some people don’t get a second chance like I did.â€
Faster cancer research involves nCounter SPRINT, a laboratory-bench-top-sized unit with a price point attuned for individual researchers that is designed to provide the same high-precision nCounter® chemistry as the company’s previous systems. The rapid speed of NanoString’s technology enables researchers to quickly continue with the next steps of investigation.
American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. The organization has regional and local offices throughout the country to ensure they have a presence in every community. All proceeds from NanoString Technologies will go to efforts lead by its Seattle-based office.
“Everything that American Cancer Society stands for is what we hope for: a world without cancer,†said Gray. “If more individual cancer researchers have access to the right technology, we are increasing our chances of finding a cure for cancer faster.â€
Additionally, NanoString Technologies is sponsoring the 9th Annual Seattle Research Breakfast hosted by American Cancer Society’s breakfast on October 9 at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center. This event will unite Seattle’s population fighting for the end to cancer and serve to empower American Cancer Society’s affiliate, ACS CAN, a nonprofit that works to ensure that elected officials across the country make cancer a top priority.
For more information on NanoString Technologies and to take a stand, log onto www.nanostringsprint.com.
For more information on American Cancer Society, log onto http://www.cancer.org/.
About NanoString Technologies, Inc.
NanoString Technologies provides life science tools for translational research and molecular diagnostic products. The company’s nCounter Analysis System has been employed in life sciences research since it was first introduced in 2008 and has been cited in more than 700 peer-reviewed publications. The nCounter Analysis System offers a cost-effective way to easily profile the expression of hundreds of genes, proteins, miRNAs, or copy number variations simultaneously and with high sensitivity and precision, facilitating a wide variety of basic research and translational medicine applications, including biomarker discovery and validation. The company’s technology has also been applied to diagnostic use. The Prosigna® Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay together with the nCounter Dx Analysis System is FDA 510(k)-cleared for use as a prognostic indicator for distant recurrence of breast cancer.
www.nanostring.com