AURORA, Colo. and BANGALORE, India, July 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Strand Life Sciences, a global genomic profiling company that uses next generation sequencing technology to empower cancer care, today announced the appointment of Scott A. Storrer as chief executive officer. In his expanded role as now president and CEO, he will be responsible for all strategy, business expansion and worldwide operations effective immediately. Dr. Vijay Chandru, who has served as Strand's chairman and CEO since its founding in 2000, will continue in his role as chairman of the board of directors.
Storrer has overseen the company's U.S. launch of StrandAdvantage, which accelerates the analysis of therapeutically actionable cancer genes and matches them to relevant FDA-approved targeted cancer therapies and open clinical trials without the need for multiple tests. The service provides oncologists with clinically actionable results beginning with a "standard-of-care" report delivered to the clinician within eight days to help guide first-line therapy decisions. A full report is provided within 15 days that covers all major gene variants and pathways known to be impacted by existing targeted therapies.
"Scott's twenty-plus years of executive experience leading and growing profitable businesses in the healthcare industry across the payer, provider and personalized medicine sectors will help Strand develop a strong presence globally," Dr. Chandru said. "His move into our CEO post following me reflects the planned progression of our company and shift in focus to new products for use by physicians. I am excited to work with him and our board members as we build a dominant market position for StrandAdvantage."
Storrer added: "Strand is at a significant point in its global expansion and product roll-out. We recently introduced a new version of StrandAdvantage that features a panel that examines 152 genes -- all genes and pathways known to be impacted by existing targeted cancer therapies plus additional chemotherapeutic toxicity and resistance data. I look forward to making this important development in genomic testing widely available to oncologists and pathologists."
Storrer will also oversee the continued expansion of Strand Life Sciences' genomics software business. Strand's high-end bioinformatics platforms are used in more than 2,000 laboratories and 100 hospitals worldwide, and the company is committed to continuing to strengthen its leadership position in this area. Storrer will also be responsible for the continued development and marketing of Strand's precision medicine products in India.
Storrer joined Strand in July 2014 as president of North America. Prior to this, he was president and CEO of Genomind, a personalized medicine company, and CEO of Medecision, a population health-management solutions company. Before this, he held several leadership positions with Cardinal Health, where he advanced to group president of Cardinal's $81 billion pharmaceutical segment. Earlier in his career, Storrer was executive vice president, service and information technology with CIGNA Corp. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics and mathematics from DePauw University and an M.B.A. from Boston University.
Dr. Chandru's work with Strand Life Sciences earned him a 'Technology Pioneer' designation in 2007 from the World Economic Forum. In addition to Strand Life Sciences, he co-founded PicoPeta Simputers, which developed and commercialized a handheld computer known as the Simputer. He is currently a member of the national Expert Committee on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India. Prior to leading Strand, he served as a professor of engineering and computer science at Purdue University in Indiana and at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Dr. Chandru earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India; a master's from the University of California at Los Angeles; and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About Strand Life Sciences
Strand Life Sciences is a genomic profiling company that uses next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology aimed at empowering cancer care. Strand's StrandAdvantage pan-cancer panels provide medical oncologists a complete understanding of genomic changes in solid tumors in days so targeted treatment plans can begin quickly. Strand's comprehensive knowledge base of genomic variants linked to FDA-approved targeted cancer therapies and drugs in open clinical trials provides clinically actionable treatment options, enabling clinicians to develop a truly personalized treatment regimen for cancer patients. For more information, please visit www.strandls.com.
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Editor's Note: Executive photographs available on request
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SOURCE Strand Life Sciences