Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Celebrating the critical work of drug development scientists

LGC Standards would like to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month by celebrating the critical work carried out by scientists and researchers working throughout the drug discovery to manufacture pipeline.

???????????Breast cancer remains the most common malignancy in women worldwide, and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Over the past decade, advances in sequencing technologies have revealed significant disease heterogeneity, distinct cancer subtypes and molecular drivers - underpinning the design of several effective new therapies, although resistance remains a critical challenge.

LGC-TRC research chemicals and ATCC cellular models - exclusively distributed by LGC Standards in Europe and Africa - are used by scientists to design and test new breast cancer drugs and drug combinations. This is confirmed by the significant number of studies in which we are cited, most recently in cancer metabolism, application of nanotechnology to drug formulations, and testing of novel drug combinations in metastatic breast cancer.

Our expertise also helps the industry manufacture breast cancer medications per regulatory requirements. Our Mikromol range provides high-quality reference materials for breast cancer chemotherapy drugs, such as doxorubicin and carboplatin, and targeted therapies, including palbociclib and abemaciclib - as well as their impurities and excipients. Mikromol extractable and leachable products are designed to help test for harmful chemical changes that may occur in drug formulations due to interaction with drug packaging, while LGC Standards’ nitrosamine reference materials support their detection of potentially carcinogenic breakdown products in drug formulations. Our VHG standards range meanwhile enables their mandatory heavy metals testing in final drug formulations.

With five-year survival rates for metastatic breast cancer at 30%, dropping to just 12% for the more aggressive triple negative subtype, we recognise that still greater research investment is needed to positively affect more patients’ lives. But this month in particular, we pay tribute to the dedication and ingenuity of the scientists who work on a daily basis to design, test and manufacture more effective breast cancer drugs.?

Early Detection is Important in Breast Cancer Care

Our purpose is also to raise awareness and remind you that it's important to get regular breast exams because early detection is your best chance of finding cancer in the early stages. Talk to a doctor or other health care provider about when to start and how often to get a breast cancer screening.?