We’re hearing more and more about precision medicine and how it can positively impact medicine. But what is preventing it from reaching its full potential, and how can everyone from hospitals to startups help scale it?
This question will be up for discussion at the MedCity CONVERGE conference in Philadelphia on July 11-12.
Prior to the event, Andrew Norden, chief medical officer of oncology-focused startup Cota and a panelist on the “How to Scale Precision Medicine” panel, discussed setbacks and opportunities for the field.
It’s not a secret that precision medicine is a buzzword in healthcare, he said in a recent phone interview. But in a way, the concept isn’t brand new. Since the beginning of medicine, doctors have used the tools available to them to try and personalize treatment plans for patients. What makes precision medicine unique today is that genomic markers are novel and patient data is available in the EMR system, Norden added.
Though the field has come a long way, there are still obstacles standing in the way of its ultimate success. Interoperability is one such issue. Another is that the “methods for using data obtained in a real-world setting for research purposes are somewhat immature,” Norden said.
“I also think some of the regulatory burden related to privacy and data sharing is problematic and can have a limiting effect on the ability to bring meaningful datasets together,” he added.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Attend MedCity CONVERGE to hear from healthcare innovators like Andrew Norden. Use promo code MCN50 to save $50. Register now.
One of the biggest problems is a lack of collaboration. IT systems, sources and organizations need to interact if we are to make progress in advancing precision medicine. Norden did note, however, that we are seeing more collaboration between academia, the industry and the government than what used to be the norm.
Looking forward, he believes entities will cooperate more and more, thereby advancing collaboration and research. Norden also remains optimistic about the future, noting that within five to 10 years, the industry can overcome many of the challenges precision medicine faces.
Data sources will work better together. The field will keep learning how to incorporate genomic data into physician decision-making at the point of care. And we’ll increasingly see the benefits in using new therapeutics for sub-groups of patients.
“My hope is that one really key change we will see in that time is that … patient care data obtained in the course of routine practice will be recorded in a way that much more readily lends itself to learning and research,” Norden said.
Photo: HASLOO, Getty Images
