ASTRAZENECA HELPS EXPAND ACCESS TO ADVANCED OVARIAN CANCER DIAGNOSTICS
AstraZeneca has launched the Helix Project in South Africa to help expand access to advanced diagnostic testing for eligible ovarian cancer patients, supporting earlier and more informed treatment decisions.
Ovarian cancer remains one of the most serious and challenging cancers affecting women, with outcomes often shaped by how early the disease is identified and whether patients can access the right diagnostic tools to guide treatment decisions.
Gynaecological cancers were the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide in 20201 and accounted for 15.3% of cancer deaths in women. In South Africa, cervical cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer, followed by uterine and ovarian cancers
Despite the important role of biomarker testing in treatment planning, access to advanced ovarian cancer diagnostics remains limited for many patients in South Africa. The Helix Project aims to help address this gap by improving access to homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) testing for eligible patients.
Molecular diagnosis through the detection of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants can inform therapeutic decision-making in treatment and prevention for affected individuals and their families. This is especially important in a resource-limited setting such as South Africa, where timely and appropriate use of diagnostic tools can help support more informed care decisions.
HRD testing can help identify patients for whom biomarker-informed treatment decisions may be appropriate. By supporting earlier access to this diagnostic information, the initiative aims to help reduce delays in the treatment pathway and enable more personalized care.
The programme brings together AstraZeneca, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and four private pathology laboratories - Gritzman & Thatcher, PathCare, Lancet, and Ampath—in a multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Through the Helix Project, eligible patients will benefit from expanded access to HRD testing at reduced cost, helping to support timely and informed treatment decisions.
“Ovarian cancer is too often diagnosed late, and access to timely diagnostics can play an important role in helping inform treatment decisions,” says Dr Khomotso Mashilane, Medical Director, African Cluster, AstraZeneca. “This programme is designed to help reduce cost barriers to HRD testing for eligible patients and reflects our broader commitment to improving access to cancer care through partnership and innovation.”
“Access to comprehensive genomic information is essential to advancing precision oncology, but too many patients still face barriers to the testing that can help inform their care,” said Luca Quagliata, Vice President, Medical Affairs at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“Through the Helix Project, we are proud to support expanded access to HRD testing for eligible patients in South Africa by enabling laboratories to assess HRD results alongside a broad range of genomic alterations and biomarkers in a single workflow. By working with AstraZeneca and local laboratory partners, we aim to help more patients benefit from reliable biomarker information that can support informed treatment decisions."
Through collaboration, this program can help expand access to HRD testing and support more patients with the information needed to guide their care. This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to working with partners to address healthcare challenges and help build more sustainable and equitable cancer care.
Ovarian cancer in focus
Ovarian cancer is a significant global health challenge and remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among women. According to the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, it is the eighth most common cause of cancer death in women globally, and the number of women who die from the malignancy is projected to increase significantly by 2050.
In South Africa, ovarian cancer continues to place a substantial burden on patients and the healthcare system. It is among the more prevalent cancers affecting women and remains associated with high mortality, underscoring the importance of improved awareness, timely diagnosis and access to appropriate testing and care.
By bridging the gap between innovative science and patient access, the Helix Project represents a vital step toward a more equitable healthcare landscape in South Africa. Ultimately, AstraZeneca and its partners are not just expanding diagnostic capabilities; they are redefining what is possible for ovarian cancer care across the region, offering renewed hope and better-guided pathways to the women and families who need them most.