The EPO issued a press release from Munich and Amsterdam spotlighting van 't Veer's predictive breast cancer gene test.
On April 21, 2015, the European Patent Office (EPO) issued a joint press communication from Munich and Amsterdam that highlighted the work of Dutch scientist Laura van 't Veer, then age 58, as the inventor of a predictive gene test enabling women with early-stage breast cancer to receive a more reliable prognosis.
The press release emphasized how van 't Veer's genomic test allowed many patients to potentially avoid chemotherapy, a treatment that carries significant physical and psychological burdens, by identifying those at genuinely low risk of cancer recurrence. This distinction between patients who truly needed aggressive treatment and those who did not represented a fundamental shift in oncological decision-making.
The EPO's spotlight on her work came as part of broader recognition efforts surrounding the European Inventor Award, an annual prize that honors individuals and teams whose inventions have provided answers to some of the biggest challenges of our time. Being featured by the EPO underscored the growing institutional recognition of van 't Veer's contributions to translational cancer research and patent-protected innovation in molecular diagnostics.
This visibility further cemented her reputation as a leading figure bridging basic science research and practical, patient-centered clinical tools within the European scientific and entrepreneurial community.