Latest developments in cancer research and treatment explored by top global scientists at Tucson Symposium

Tucson, Arizona

February 8, 2016

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, today announced that hundreds of the world’s top oncologists, pathologists, research scientists and healthcare industry leaders will gather at the 12th annual Tucson Symposium March 8-9 to learn about the latest findings, evolving theories and new outcomes in cancer research and treatments that will impact medical practice and patients’ lives.

The event, sponsored by Ventana and created in 2005 by the company’s Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. Thomas Grogan, annually draws more than 500 global scientific collaborators. Topics for 2016 include tumor heterogeneity and cancer evolution, cancer immunotherapy and immune biomarkers, health informatics, novel therapeutic approaches and mechanisms of disease, and molecular pathology.

The Tucson Symposium is unlike other conferences in that it brings together some of the brightest minds internationally in a range of specialties that cover the cancer spectrum, said Dr. Eric Walk, Senior Vice President, Medical & Scientific Affairs, and Chief Medical Officer, Ventana Medical Systems. Our fundamental understanding of what cancer is and how best to treat it is evolving at an unprecedented pace, he continued. We are very proud to have some of the world’s leading pathologists, oncologists and cancer biologists join us at Tucson Symposium 2016 to share new, often unpublished data driving this revolution in cancer care and knowledge.

Charles Swanton, PhD, whose work at the Francis Crick Institute in London focuses on understanding the challenge of managing metastatic cancer and its drug resistant and incurable nature, is attending his third Tucson Symposium. He is leading a session on Tumor Heterogeneity and Cancer Evolution.

The Tucson Symposium is one of the highlights of the year, Swanton said. Some of the problems we are tackling have been faced by pathologists for decades, if not over a century. The ability for these diverse fields to meet under one roof, with genomic biologists collaborating with pathologists and clinical trial physicians, truly informs the way we work together. That integration can help lead to a better understanding of cancer and how we treat it.

Deadline to register for the Tucson Symposium is February 29. For more information, please visit www.tucsonsymposium.com.

About Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. 
Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.  (“VMSI”) (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), a member of the Roche Group, innovates and manufactures instruments and reagents that automate tissue processing and slide staining for cancer diagnostics. VENTANA products are used in clinical histology and drug development research laboratories worldwide. The company’s intuitive, integrated staining, workflow management platforms, and digital pathology solutions optimize laboratory efficiencies to help reduce errors, support diagnosis and enable informed treatment decisions by anatomic pathology professionals. Together with Roche, Ventana is driving Personalized Healthcare through accelerated drug discovery and the development of companion diagnostics to identify the patients most likely to respond favorably to specific therapies.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.