Read the Conversation
Meeting Highlights:
- QIAGEN as a key partner for early disease diagnosis: Molecular-based technology allows for disease detection even before it is visible through imaging, highlighting its crucial role in early intervention strategies.
- Advancements in Genomics: Leveraging Brazil's diverse population for innovation in predictive and personalized care.
- New Market Engagement Strategy: Cost- and time-efficient syndromic testing is a strategic shift, particularly in relationships with hospitals and payers. This involves a more collaborative approach, aiming to better align with their needs and expectations.
- Qiagen's commitment to creating a positive and supportive work environment: The company has been recognized as a "Great Place to Work" 4 years in a row and has been listed among the top 5 best companies to work for in the healthcare sector.
EF: How will the Brazilian market contribute to QIAGEN’s objectives and milestones for the 2028 growth strategy?
PG: QIAGEN is at the core of the healthcare process, playing a vital role in early disease detection, diagnostics, precision medicine, and personalized treatments. Changing how patients are treated, especially in Brazil and other countries, is crucial as the current approach becomes increasingly costly and unsustainable.
Thanks to our molecular biology products and solutions, which enable earlier diagnoses, QIAGEN is a key player in transforming healthcare. While imaging technologies can detect conditions, they often miss diseases in their early stages. Our molecular biology tests, however, can identify these initial stages, making our role so indispensable.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of molecular biology in healthcare, particularly through the widespread use of PCR tests. This situation allowed us to demonstrate the value of our portfolio to the market, the public, and patients alike.
With our portfolio in sample technologies, DNA and RNA test preparation, PCR detection, and the emerging field of genomics, we are advancing toward earlier detection and more effective treatments. Moreover, our digital insights can process vast amounts of information from NGS and genomics, providing doctors and specialists with the tools they need to make the best decisions. Our strategy is strong in bringing us closer to patients and giving valuable insights to them and their doctors, enabling more effective treatment for everyone, everywhere.
EF: What strategies are you implementing to effectively integrate digital insights and AI-enabled applications in LATAM, and what role will this integration play?
PG: QIAGEN Digital Insights (QDI) has become one of our key pillars for 2024 to 2028. As global leaders in this segment, we continue to grow. We have made strategic M&A moves to accelerate how we process and utilize data, especially as genomics becomes increasingly central to healthcare.
In Brazil and across Latin America, we are witnessing a surge in genomics projects in both the private and public sectors. Supporting these initiatives without a streamlined approach to data would be impossible. That is why we have established a dedicated team in Brazil and throughout Latin America focused on digital insights. They work closely with our genomics team to provide comprehensive solutions. Given the novelty of this technology, experts who understand the entire process are rare, making it crucial for us to offer a complete package—from input to output—ensuring that the information provided to decision-makers is high-quality, fast, and easy to interpret.
For Brazil, we can take the Genommas Brasil project as an example, which aims to screen 10,000 people across Brazil’s highly diverse population. This diversity provides valuable data for developing targeted treatments, marking the first step toward selling this information to pharmaceutical companies to create drugs tailored to specific populations. This aligns with the future of personalized medicine, where treatments are precisely matched to patients, moving beyond the trial-and-error approach of generic treatments.
We fully support these projects from start to finish, overcoming challenges and delivering consolidated data for developing new drugs, vaccines, and ideas. This is where we stand today, driving initiatives from sample to insight.
EF: As healthcare expands into more personalized medicine, do you have any campaigns on medical education in this realm?
PG: We focus on life sciences and external research, maintaining close relationships with universities and research centers. Our team collaborates with these institutions on initiatives like 'QIA days,' discussing new technologies and exploring how they can advance scientific progress.
We also work directly in the diagnostic field, maintaining strong relationships with major Brazilian market players and increasingly engaging with hospitals. As our portfolio shifts from labs to hospitals, we've made significant progress in syndromic testing. These tests provide rapid results, enabling early detection and informed treatment decisions.
We're demonstrating the value of syndromic tests to healthcare peers beyond health plans. By preventing unnecessary hospital stays, these tests can significantly reduce costs. We're collaborating with new partners in this area, which is proving to be a positive development.
EF: As a representative of the future of diagnostics, what message would you like to convey to healthcare investors?
PG: Early diagnostics can significantly reduce healthcare costs by preventing prolonged hospital stays and multiple treatments. This enables patients to return to work and their normal lives sooner and healthier.
QIAGEN's solutions are crucial in driving medical decisions for better treatment and supporting the development of new drugs, especially in oncology and complex diseases. We focus on enabling informed decisions for healthier outcomes, ensuring patients thrive in their communities rather than being confined to hospitals.
EF: Do you have any final message for our readers?
PG: Celebrating our 40th anniversary, we are incredibly proud of our achievements. Over the past four years, we have been honored with the Great Place to Work award and recently recognized as one of Brazil's top five best companies to work for in healthcare. This achievement is a testament to our team's dedication and passion.
While not a young company, we have maintained a youthful spirit. The pandemic allowed us to build a strong financial position, which we will reinvest in the company. We expect exciting mergers and acquisitions soon, strengthening our position and expanding our impact in molecular biology.
