Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty along with DiaTech Oncology officials announced the company will expand operations in Franklin, Tenn. DiaTech’s investment of $2.7 million will create 39 new positions over the next two years in Williamson County.
“Tennessee is a top state when it comes to research and development expenditures, and we are focused on leveraging our remarkable R&D assets, along with our strengths in the health care industry, to attract innovative companies like DiaTech to locate and expand in our state,” Hagerty said. “I appreciate DiaTech for their investment in Williamson County that will not only benefit our citizens and economy, but cancer patients and physicians worldwide.”
“DiaTech is pleased to begin its first U.S. laboratory operation in Franklin, Tennessee,” DiaTech Oncology President Garry Latimer said. “This laboratory is under development with a planned opening of its specialized ‘Correct Chemo Assay’ cancer testing facility in early 2014.”
“DiaTech’s test is the only test on the market that reveals to the treating oncologist the most effective chemotherapy for inducing cell death in the malignant cells of a particular cancer patient. As our clinical studies show, DiaTech’s test can guide therapy in individual patients,” DiaTech Oncology Chief Medical Officer Cary Presant, M.D., said.
Offering patient-specific chemotherapy testing, DiaTech helps oncologists determine the best cancer treatment plans for their patients. The company uses a patented technology called Microculture Kinetic (MiCK) assay which measures cell death induced in a specific patient’s cancer cells by chemotherapy. The analysis, which has been used successfully in more than 50 different tumor types, is the only test on the market that evaluates the chemotherapeutic drug effect for a specific patient and can tell which chemotherapy drugs are most effective.
“I am thrilled DiaTech has selected Williamson County as the location for their first U.S. lab operation in the United States,” Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson said. “Williamson County has been focused on developing the life sciences sector for years, and DiaTech’s investment in our community is a direct result of hard work by a number of community leaders.”
“Health care is one of the foundational economic sectors in Williamson County,” Williamson County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Matt Largen said. “DiaTech’s laboratory operation will help us diversify the health care sector by capturing the increasingly important research and development component. I am thankful DiaTech selected Williamson County and look forward to partnering with them to grow their presence here.”
The 39 new jobs include technical staffing positions for medical technologists with extensive experience in isolation, purification and culturing of tumor cells from human tissues, diagnostic multiparameter flow cytometry, and histology and immunohistochemistry. To apply, please forward your resume to career@diatech-oncology.com.
About DiaTech Oncology
DiaTech Oncology, based in Nashville, Tenn., is a life sciences and clinical pathology laboratory company that offers patient-specific chemotherapy testing to help oncologists determine the best cancer treatment plans for their patients. DiaTech utilizes a patented technology called the Microculture Kinetic (MiCK) assay, which measures apoptosis (cell death) induced in a specific patient’s cancer cells by chemotherapy. The only test on the market that evaluates the chemotherapeutic drug effect for a specific patient and can tell which chemotherapy drugs are most effective, the MiCK assay has successfully tested all types of cancer. The MiCK assay is also used to determine the effectiveness of new drugs in preclinical trials for the pharmaceutical industry. Visit us at www.diatech-oncology.com.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies which help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tn.gov/ecd. Follow us on Twitter: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.