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Health experts on the major breakthroughs in fighting cancer. Leading experts in cancer research reflected on the significant strides made in tackling the disease, along with the work that remains to be done toward finding a cure, at the TIME100 Health Leadership Forum in New York on Thursday. Resources have been the key toward making important discoveries, said Shane Jacobson, the CEO of both the American Cancer Society, which sponsored the event, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. Philanthropic investments and federal government funding, he continued, have allowed scientists and oncologists to make the progress Our Better Health see today in cancer prevention and treatment. Cancer is "omnipresent" Jacobson said. In the U.S., one in three men and women will receive a cancer diagnosis sometime during their lives, according to the American Cancer Society. "It has been, historically, such a devastating disease," he said. "We knew so little about it that it has garnered resources - and it takes resources to tackle most of the problems we face in healthcare." Developments in tackling cancer - such as the encouraging results of an mRNA cancer vaccine that were announced by Moderna and Merck last month - stem from "decades of progress, decades of new knowledge, decades of even failure, and learning from that failure to bring forth these kinds of results," Jacobson said. "It used to be maybe on an annual basis we would celebrate something significant, but the innovation is moving so rapidly that these celebrations, these big moments, are now almost on a monthly basis, and we should expect that speed to continue," he said. But, he added, just as important as these advances is ensuring that everyone is able to access the drugs and therapies they need - "otherwise," he said, "the innovation falls short of its potential." Vaccines and immunotherapy have emerged as powerful tools to fight cancer, said Dr. Andrea Cercek, a gastrointestinal medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who was a 2025 TIME100 Health honoree. "The hope... between vaccines and immunotherapy as well is that they harness the immune system, which is really the most powerful drug we have," she said. "It can fight anything as long as it's equipped to do so and it recognizes something is foreign, and so it's really that combination that needs to happen for therapy to work." Cercek herself has been pioneering immunotherapy drugs to treat cancer. In 2024, she and her colleagues released the findings of their study of patients who had a specific type of rectal cancer, revealing that, after six months of being treated with an immunotherapy drug, none of the patients showed detectable tumors, meaning that none of them needed chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery afterwards. Cercek has expanded her research, and said during the panel that "we're very close" to seeing this kind of treatment being used successfully for other types of cancer so that patients don't have to undergo more invasive therapies. TIME senior health correspondent Alice Park, who moderated the panel, closed the discussion with a big question: Will Our Better Health cure cancer? And if so, what will that cure look like? "Absolutely we will," Cercek replied. "Probably it will be with early detection and prevention - I think that is going to be, ultimately, what cures cancer." "Yes," Jacobson said. "And I think it's 'cures,' plural. It's not one cure, and we're seeing that now." The TIME100 Health Leadership Forum was presented by the American Cancer Society, Kite - a Gilead Sciences company, Insulet, Musely, and NMDP. by Chantelle Lee Reporter Sep 10, 2026 Loading...

From vision to measurable impact: NSIA 's journey of transforming Nigeria's healthcare. At the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the mandate to deploy patient capital is anchored in a clear objective: to invest in sectors capable of delivering both long-term commercial returns and measurable national impact. Few sectors embody this dual imperative more clearly than healthcare. NSIA's entry into healthcare was therefore guided by a straightforward but ambitious proposition: that high-quality healthcare services - many of which were previously inaccessible in Nigeria or available primarily through overseas treatment - could be made more accessible and affordable within the country. This ambition led to the establishment of NSIA Advanced Medical Services Limited (MedServe), the Authority's wholly owned healthcare subsidiary, with a strategic focus on advancing oncology, diagnostics and, subsequently, other specialised medical services across Nigeria. Building on this foundation, Aminu Umar-Sadiq, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer at NSIA has placed healthcare investment within a broader institutional framework - one that goes beyond the development of individual facilities to building sustainable healthcare capacity, strengthening local expertise, and creating platforms capable of delivering measurable outcomes over the long term. From concept to infrastructure Through MedServe, NSIA has translated this strategic vision into operational healthcare infrastructure with national significance. The MedServe-LUTH Cancer Centre (MLCC) in Lagos, commissioned in May 2019, became the first oncology centre in Nigeria to offer 3D Conformal Radiotherapy and today houses the largest concentration of radiotherapy equipment in West Africa. The centre's strategic value became particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when international travel restrictions significantly constrained access to overseas medical treatment. At a critical moment for patients requiring specialised care, MLCC provided continuity of advanced cancer treatment within Nigeria, demonstrating the importance of resilient domestic healthcare capacity. This investment has been complemented by the MedServe Kano Diagnostic Centre (MKDC) and the MedServe Umuahia Diagnostic Centre (MUDC), which introduced advanced radiology and pathology services to regions where such capabilities had previously been limited or unavailable. The results are both substantial and measurable. Since inception, MLCC has delivered more than 25,000 radiotherapy sessions and 10,000 chemotherapy treatments to approximately 15,000 unique patients. The centre has also recorded instances of reversed medical tourism, with Nigerians being referred from overseas providers on account of the quality and cost-effectiveness of services available locally. Treatment costs remain significantly below comparable international services, in many cases at less than half the cost of treatment abroad. It is estimated that these interventions have prevented more than $200 million in foreign exchange outflows that would otherwise have been associated with overseas treatment and related expenses. Across Kano and Umuahia, more than 410,000 patients had received pathology and radio diagnostic services by December 2025, supporting earlier detection, contributing to improved clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. These figures represent more than service volumes. They demonstrate healthcare capacity built locally, specialised skills retained within the country, and tangible value delivered to Nigerians. Building a sustainable oncology ecosystem Sustainable healthcare transformation requires more than physical infrastructure. It depends on an ecosystem in which infrastructure is supported by human capital development, clinical research, knowledge transfer and integration with leading international institutions. Recognising that oncology remains an emerging specialty in Nigeria, NSIA, through MedServe, adopted a holistic approach centred on three priorities: developing a pipeline of skilled oncology professionals; strengthening clinical research and trial capacity tailored to African populations; and establishing partnerships with leading global medical institutions. As part of this effort, MedServe instituted an annual Oncology Summit to bring together clinicians, researchers, regulators and academics, creating a platform for knowledge exchange, professional development and collaboration. MedServe has also established partnerships with globally respected institutions, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the University of Maryland Medical Center and Bio Ventures for Global Health. These collaborations are helping expand access to clinical trials and innovative approaches in oncology, radiology and pathology. To date, MedServe has participated in two global cancer trials focused on prostate and breast cancer - an important step towards strengthening Nigeria's role in international clinical research and ensuring that evidence generated through global healthcare innovation is increasingly relevant to African populations. This ecosystem-led approach reflects the broader investment philosophy championed under Aminu Umar-Sadiq's leadership: that sustainable impact is achieved not simply by deploying capital into assets, but by creating the institutional, technical and human-capital foundations required for those assets to deliver value over generations. Expanding national access: The next phase Building on the outcomes achieved to date, MedServe has embarked on a structured expansion of its healthcare footprint across 13 states. The expansion is designed to balance established urban centres - including Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and Kaduna - with other participating states such as Oyo, Sokoto, Delta and Yobe. The objective is to bring specialised diagnostic and treatment capabilities closer to more Nigerians while creating a more geographically diversified healthcare network. The next phase comprises the development of 13 new diagnostic centres, three additional oncology centres and three cardiac catheterisation laboratories, introducing cardiology as a new service line within the MedServe platform. Scale, however, must be accompanied by operational resilience. To this end, MedServe has established long-term partnerships with global equipment manufacturers Siemens and GE. These partnerships cover equipment supply, maintenance, training and bulk procurement efficiencies, supporting high service uptime, consistent quality and the long-term sustainability of the expanding network. The financing structure supporting this expansion is equally significant. In line with NSIA's mandate to mobilise capital and catalyse foreign investment, MedServe secured up to $24.3 million in blended financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the International Development Association (IDA). The financing represents an innovative approach to healthcare investment, helping to lower the cost of capital while supporting affordability and demonstrating growing multilateral confidence in Nigeria's healthcare sector. Looking ahead With the commissioning of new centres scheduled to commence from mid-2026, NSIA, through MedServe, remains focused on expanding equitable access to high-quality healthcare services across Nigeria. The country's healthcare narrative must continue to evolve. It should no longer be defined predominantly by outbound medical tourism, but increasingly by domestic resilience, expanding capacity and measurable national capability. The ambition is not simply to build more healthcare facilities. It is to demonstrate that world-class, dignified and accessible healthcare can be developed, operated and sustained in Nigeria. The journey remains ongoing, but the direction is clear. Through disciplined capital deployment, strategic partnerships, long-term institutional commitment and strong execution, NSIA will continue to support the development of healthcare infrastructure capable of serving both the current and future generations of Nigerians. For NSIA, the measure of success ultimately extends beyond the infrastructure delivered. It lies in the capacity created, the patients served, the expertise retained, the investment attracted and the extent to which Nigeria's healthcare system becomes stronger, more resilient and increasingly capable of meeting the needs of its people at home. Umar-Sadiq is the Managing Director & CEO NSIA

NVision deploys POLARIS at Hokkaido University, establishing research site for quantum-enhanced MRI in Japan. NVision Quantum Technologies, a quantum technology company, today announced the deployment of its POLARIS(TM) platform at Hokkaido University. Installed at the Graduate School of Information Science and Technology's Division of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, the system marks NVision's first deployment in Japan and establishes Hokkaido University as a key research partner in the Asia-Pacific region. The deployment follows a year of international expansion for NVision's quantum-enhanced MRI business. NVision now works with leading research institutions including the University of Cambridge, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Technical University of Munich. In Asia, the company is also collaborating with Yonsei University in South Korea through the RESQ research project. Hokkaido University is internationally recognized for its research in metabolic imaging and hyperpolarization technologies, with a particular focus on understanding how changes in metabolism reflect disease biology and treatment response. The deployment expands NVision's global research network while strengthening the company's research presence in Japan and across the Asia-Pacific region. "Quantum technology only creates value when it is placed in the hands of researchers who can turn it into meaningful scientific and clinical progress," said Dr. Sella Brosh, CEO of NVision. "We are proud to be building a global community of leading scientists who are applying quantum-enhanced MRI to important questions in medicine and drug development. Hokkaido University brings deep expertise in hyperpolarization and metabolic imaging, and this deployment gives us a strong foundation for expanding our work in Japan and across Asia." POLARIS boosts the MRI signal of sugars over 10,000x through a process known as hyperpolarization, making it possible for standard MRI systems to "light up" and measure cell metabolism in real time. It is the first commercially available quantum-based polarizer, using parahydrogen-induced polarization, or PHIP, to produce a metabolic imaging agent in under three minutes. By visualizing disease activity in real time, POLARIS empowers researchers to assess therapy effectiveness within days rather than months. POLARIS combines automated quantum spin control with standardized precursor kits that enable the reproducible, push-button hyperpolarization of key metabolic molecules. This allows researchers to move from custom-built laboratory systems and complex manual workflows to a standardized platform for routine preclinical imaging. This standardization is particularly relevant for pharmaceutical research. Hyperpolarized imaging allows researchers to study the same metabolic biomarker in preclinical disease models and later in clinical studies, creating a direct bridge between drug development stages. In preclinical research, these biomarkers can help reveal target engagement, treatment response, resistance mechanisms, adverse effects, and responsive subgroups. The same readouts can then support earlier and more informed decisions in clinical trials. The Hokkaido team will use POLARIS to investigate how metabolic imaging can provide new insights into brain and systemic disease biology, with an initial focus on understanding changes in brain metabolism associated with neurological disorders, inflammation, infection, and treatment response. The initiative is led by Professor Shingo Matsumoto, whose laboratory is internationally recognized for pioneering work in parahydrogen-based hyperpolarization, low-field and zero-field magnetic resonance technologies, and metabolic imaging. "A wide range of stresses and systemic diseases that can lead to brain dysfunction, including depression and anxiety disorders, can produce pronounced changes in brain metabolism long before structural alterations become apparent." said Professor Shingo Matsumoto. "We are excited to use POLARIS to investigate changes in brain metabolic flux that are closely linked to neuronal activity. Ultimately, this could help advance research toward visualizing psychiatric disorders through these metabolic changes using quantum-enhanced MRI technology." NVision plans to continue deploying POLARIS systems at leading global research centers throughout 2026 as it works toward a network of 20 installations by year-end. These sites are generating the clinical evidence, standardized workflows, and research partnerships required to begin studies involving patients in the coming year.