Precision Medicine Under the Microscope

TOPICS:

Posted By: Roberta Mullin October 2, 2019

We are on the beat to find and report just what is happening now in Precision Medicine. Look for this on going report each month as we find articles, commentary, interviews, and events of interest on Precision Medicine. Read more posts on Precision Medicine and follow the hashtag #PrecisionMedicine.

The US National Library of Medicine says “although the term ‘precision medicine’ is relatively new, the concept has been a part of healthcare for many years. For example, a person who needs a blood transfusion is not given blood from a randomly selected donor; instead, the donor’s blood type is matched to the recipient to reduce the risk of complications. Although examples can be found in several areas of medicine, the role of precision medicine in day-to-day healthcare is relatively limited. Researchers hope that this approach will expand to many areas of health and healthcare in coming years.”

What is the difference between precision medicine and personalized medicine? What about pharmacogenomics?
According to the NIH US National Libarary of Medicine, National Research Council, there is a lot of overlap between the terms. Learn more.

Precision Medicine in Action

Genomind and DrChrono Expand Collaboration to Improve Mental Health Outcomes With Innovative Technology and Services
Genomind® (@genomind), a mental health company bringing precision medicine into mainstream mental health treatment, and DrChrono (@drchrono), a company enabling the medical practice of the future, are expanding their partnership to meet the growing need of mental health patients and healthcare providers to integrate personalized genetic tests into electronic medical records (EMR). Through the DrChrono platform, healthcare providers can order Genomind Professional PGx Express™ – the most comprehensive mental health pharmacogenomic service available. The results of the test and Genomind’s consultative services are provided to the physician through the DrChrono interface.

Ambry Genetics Makes Scientific Breakthrough and Launches Paired RNA and DNA Testing for Hereditary Cancer
Ambry Genetics® (@AmbryGenetics), a clinical genetic testing company, announced the launch of +RNAinsight™, a major advancement in genetic testing. +RNAinsight enables clinicians – for the first time ever – to conduct both DNA and RNA genetic testing at the same time. Substantially more often than DNA testing alone, this paired testing identifies whether someone has a genetic mutation that either increases their risk for developing cancer or that may have contributed to their existing cancer.

Novigenix’s New Early Colon Cancer Detection Blood Test Demonstrates Positive Results
Novigenix SA, an Immuno-Transcriptomics company that develops and commercializes solutions for early cancer detection and precision medicine, announced promising data from a study of a new Immuno-Transcriptomic signature for early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) in blood. The data were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting (27th September -1st October, Barcelona, Spain).

The Prostate Cancer Foundation Announces A Collaborative Grants Program In Prostate Cancer Research
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (@PCFnews) announced a collaboration with Pfizer Global Medical Grants to fund approximately $2 million in research grants through a Competitive Research Grants Program, which is focused on investigating talazoparib, a poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor, in prostate cancer. This is the first research funding collaboration between the two organizations, which have partnered with the goal to impact future clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Healthcare Technology Startup InsightRX Raises $10 Million to Enable Precision Dosing at Point of Care
InsightRX (@InsightRX), a pioneer in precision medicine, announced the closing of its $10 million Series A funding led by HealthX Ventures, with participation from Rock Health, OSF Healthcare, Leawood Venture Capital, Premier Inc., and earlier investor GreatPoint Ventures. InsightRX has created an integrated healthcare platform that individualizes treatment at the point of care. The company will use the funding to broaden its therapeutic areas and provide additional hospitals and pharmaceutical companies with access to its innovative technology. Since its founding in 2015, InsightRX has raised more than $13 million altogether.

Listen

From The Incrementalist, host Dr. Nick van Terheyden aka Dr. Nick talks to Allen Waziri, MD the CEO & Founder of iCE Neurosystems. Every 30 seconds, a patient in the US is admitted with a severe brain injury. Their discussion centers on better data to save the brain.

To Read

Events

All of Us Research Program

Precision Medicine Initiative

The National Library of Medicine also tells us the “Precision Medicine Initiative is a long-term research endeavor, involving the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and multiple other research centers, which aims to understand how a person’s genetics, environment, and lifestyle can help determine the best approach to prevent or treat disease.” The Initiative has both short and long term goals.

Resources

The Journal of Precision Medicine (@JournPrecMed)
The world’s first print publication to discuss the many key global issues surrounding this rapidly evolving landscape. It does so by connecting both ends of the life science continuum – the compelling discoveries being realized in molecular research with the critical needs of the patient in the clinical setting.

The Personalized Medicine Coalition  (@permedcoalition)
PMC, representing innovators, scientists, patients, providers and payers, promotes the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine concepts, services and products to benefit patients and the health system.