In 2004, Genzyme established a commercial oncology franchise to provide comprehensive cancer care from diagnostics to therapeutics to follow-up monitoring.

To begin building a sustainable, competitive business in cancer, Genzyme acquired ILEX Oncology, Inc., which brings an emerging commercial presence, a robust pipeline, and a highly regarded clinical development organization to the company. We also advanced the diagnostic end of the cancer spectrum with the purchase of the oncology and pathology business of IMPATH, the market-leading cancer testing business in the United States. By combining best-in-class diagnostics with a broad portfolio of therapeutics, Genzyme aims to build a well-differentiated oncology franchise.

Genzyme's scientific and business resources and global infrastructure, together with our own cancer pipeline, will accelerate clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial development of this franchise. The oncology business fits well with our strategy of addressing defined patient populations, particularly because cancer is a group of individual diseases requiring complex, targeted therapies, often in combination, and individualized patient management.