Slideshow: Dare to fail, Genomic Health boss tells Women in Bio's new SF chapter

Kim Popovits was speaking to 150 women launching the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of Women in Bio Thursday night, but her message was appropriate for both genders: build relationships, trust the people around you and dare to fail.
The chairman, president and CEO of Redwood City cancer diagnostic test developer Genomic Health Inc. (NASDAQ: GHDX) told a rapt audience at UCSF’s Mission Bay Conference Center that along with a board of directors at Genomic Health, she has her personal board of directors. Those are people who she’s watched how they treat people or make decisions or raise their families.

New wave of Bay Area companies tame DNA data storm

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Andreas Sundquist is no medical doctor, but his expertise in electrical engineering and computer science places him and technologists like him on the cusp of solving some of the knottiest human medical problems.
Sundquist’s DNAnexus Inc. is one of at least a half-dozen young Bay Area companies using computational biology and genetics to unleash exabytes of stored genome sequencing data into everyday health care. By blending their computer algorithms and software with medical know-how, experts say, clouds full of cheaper and cheaper DNA data could rain down treatments and new drugs for previously mysterious and common medical conditions.
The burgeoning industry of genome analysis — at the intersection of the Bay Area’s high-tech and biotech expertise — could make some visionaries very rich. On the other hand, easy-to-use genetic data could turn today’s diagnostics industry upside down.
But to Sundquist and other pioneers, their companies’ value lies in volume and the ability to turn Big Data into big-time answers.
“You can argue that social networks are for rich kids, that Twitter is for value seekers,” Sundquist said. “But everybody has DNA.”

Genomic Health's Randy Scott to lead human genome subsidiary

Longtime Genomic Health Inc. executive Randy Scott is leaving the company — sort of.
Scott will become CEO of a wholly-owned Genomic Health subsidiary that will focus on medical applications of the human genome. He will continue to serve on the Redwood City-based test developer’s board.

One-on-One with Genomic Health's Steven Shak

Genomic Health Inc. will roll out another version of its Oncotype DX test this month, helping women with a less risky but tough-to-diagnose type of breast cancer avoid harmful radiation treatment.
The Redwood City company (NASDAQ: GHDX) said a recent study showed that the new test for patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast, or DCIS, is better than traditional clinic and pathologic measures predicting recurrence of the localized cancer or the likelihood of developing a new invasive breast cancer.
It’s far from the only thing Genomic Health has been focusing on.
I spoke with Steven Shak, Genomic Health’s chief medical officer, last month about Oncotype Dx, Genomic Health’s strategy and what’s next in breast, colon and prostate cancer testing.

Genomic Health colon cancer test wins Medicare coverage

Medicare will cover Genomic Health Inc.’s Oncotype DX colon cancer recurrence test.
The Redwood City medical diagnostics company (NASDAQ: GHDX) said Friday that Columbia, S.C.-based Palmetto GBA, which administers Medicare health insurance for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, established a formal coverage policy for all Medicare patients with stage II colon cancer.
The coverage is effective for claims as of Sept. 18.

Lab worker shortage threatens hot molecular diagnostics industry

A tug-of-war for hiring specialized, hard-to-find lab workers could pull a potential growth industry out of California.
Molecular diagnostic test companies — part of the personalized medicine boom — are competing with hospitals and reference labs for master’s degree-level clinical laboratory scientists, or CLSs. That conflict is driving wages higher, company leaders say, as underfunded job-training programs can’t keep up with demand.
But leaders in the life sciences industry and academia will launch a program in September that could alleviate the supply-demand crush. Tapping federal economic stimulus program cash, the program will narrow the scope of CLS training for molecular diagnostics companies, helping them land the workers they need to quickly send test results back to doctors and patients.
At the same time, the new program could allow hospitals to hold onto more broadly trained lab workers.

Incyte pays Genomic Health $800K to settle royalty claim

Diagnostic test maker Genomic Health Inc. won $800,000 from Incyte Corp. to settle a lawsuit in which it alleged Incyte received royalties that it should not have been paid.
Redwood City-based Genomic Health (NASDAQ: GHDX) initially sought in a July 2010 suit to recover nearly $3.6 million that it had paid to Incyte (NASDAQ: INCY) according to a 2001 deal.

Genomic Health counsel helps health tests clear roadblocks

A year after Kathy Hibbs took the wheel of the Genomic Health Inc. legal department, the company is now in the black and has expanded its diagnostic medical tests to 55 countries.

As general counsel and senior vice president, Hibbs plays a key role in clearing the path for Genomic Health to expand in new products and new markets.

Genomic Health hiring 50-100, expanding to 3rd building

Genomic Health pedals way to growth

Study data helps Genomic Health advances prostate cancer test

'Great march of human progress' aims to predict, prevent, treat disease at individual level

Some day — perhaps in the next year or two — you’ll be able to spit on your microfluidic chip-embedded Blackberry, which will analyze the sample and instantly diagnose your illness, said life sciences merchant banker Steve Burrill.
So-called personalized medicine will allow people to discover — more quickly and more accurately — what’s ailing them and at a lower cost, Burrill said, and that includes everything from real-time diagnostics and prevention to individualized cancer vaccines.
Personalized medicine already has given rise to companies like cancer diagnostics firm Genomic Health Inc. of Redwood City and up-and-coming stars like diabetes diagnostics company Tethys Bioscience Inc. in Emeryville, cardiovascular diagnostics firm CardioDx Inc. of Palo Alto and Foster City genetic testing company Navigenics Inc.