PREP or the Program for Reaching and Educating about Pathology is Genentech’s field initiative to educate pathologists, surgeons and other customers on quality testing. The PREP vision is to help patients receive the right diagnosis and appropriate therapy, for the education of health professions our primary goal is to ensure the key people involved in the diagnostic process have the information needed to accurately diagnose patients.

Testing is a complicated process. It involves tissue collection, sample preservation and processing, analysis and reporting, and evaluation and diagnosis. If any step of the process is done improperly, an incorrect diagnosis may result. This can lead to poor outcomes or potentially harmful side effects. In short a lot.

Pathology testing involves a complex set of processes carried out by different people at different points. The biopsy collector needs to understand that an adequate amount of tissue needs to be removed from the patient and properly preserved. The lab techs prepping the sample must understand how to preserve and process the tissue. The pathologist must understand how to score and report and should prioritize tests that are predictive of treatment benefit. Oncologists must understand what is being reported to them and advocate for optimal testing and reporting. Genentech is the industry leader in targeted therapies with companion diagnostics including Heceptin, Perjeta, Kadcyla, Zelboraf, Tarceva, and many more in development. We have a responsibility to our customers and patients to ensure that the right test is done the right time in the right way.

PREP specialists are a dedicated growing group of experts, together with their field partners provide education to the key stakeholders for this sole purpose. Patients lives depend on it.