Genomics Goes to (Clinical) Trial
A partnership between pharmaceutical giant Novartis and genomics company Foundation Medicine could bring more cancer therapeutics to the clinic at an accelerated pace.
Novartis plans to use Foundation Medicine’s genome interpretation technology as part of its clinical trial enrollment process for cancer drug testing over the next three years. This type of tumor genome analysis, which involves searching for potential drug targets in the genetic sequence of tumors, is already an important part of Novartis’ clinical trials, reports GenomeWeb.
One of the promises of genomic sequencing and personalized medicine is that drug treatments can be tailored to the genetic anomalies of a patient’s tumor, which may be quite different from those of another patient’s tumor. Novartis could use the genomic profiles of patients’ tumors to better select participants for their clinical trials or perhaps to identify new molecular targets for treatment.
“The comprehensive molecular assessment of Novartis’ Oncology clinical trial samples is expected to help to bring potentially lifesaving therapies to the right patients more quickly, and we expect that the wealth of molecular information will help fundamentally improve the way cancer is understood and treated,” said president and CEO of Foundation Medicine Michael Pellini in a statement.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.
“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.
What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines
New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.
Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats
With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure
Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation
From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.