While maintaining leadership in reproductive testing services, Genzyme has greatly expanded its oncology testing services. Diagnostics and therapy are particularly aligned in this medical area.

Strengthening capacity
With the acquisition of IMPATH's Physician Services business, a market leader in the rapidly expanding area of oncology testing, Genzyme further strengthened its testing and counseling services business. The acquisition brings us a wide array of both solid-tumor and blood-based oncology diagnostics, a broad and deep technology infrastructure, and one of the largest laboratories in the country specializing in cancer testing. Genzyme also gains an expert team of board-certified pathologists and laboratories in New York, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

This far-reaching capacity in oncology testing is essential to our goal of providing comprehensive cancer care services. Without accurate diagnosis, cancer patients cannot be treated effectively. Even within a single diagnosis, different patients may react better to some treatments than others. Diagnostics can help predict the most appropriate therapeutic course, especially as cancer treatment becomes increasingly patient specific.

Information for decision making
All of our genetic testing services provide patients and their doctors with much needed information — not only diagnosis of disease, but also assessment of risk factors. Our test menu spans reproductive, pediatric, and adult medicine, and it includes the most extensive cystic fibrosis screening test commercially available. In 2004, we added preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a cutting-edge technology increasingly used in infertility treatment, to our reproductive testing services. We also expanded our maternal serum screening menu with the addition of three noninvasive screening tests for use in pregnancy.

Diagnostic products and tests
In addition to being a major supplier of raw materials and novel clinical chemistry reagents, Genzyme develops and markets high-value diagnostic tests that offer ease of use and objective results, together with quicker turnaround or better performance than conventional detection methods. With a focus on cardiovascular health, in 2004 we added wide-range C-reactive protein (CRP) to our portfolio of cholesterol-related raw materials and reagents. In the infectious disease area, we introduced two innovative rapid tests for the diagnosis of vaginitis, both of which allow for detection at the point of care.