Precision medicine places the patient at the center of healthcare, using a variety of tools to develop tailored and targeted therapeutics and diagnostics.
Promised to revolutionize the landscape of modern medicine, precision medicine requires an in-depth knowledge of the molecular underpinnings of healthy and diseased states. Advances in molecular biology techniques and bioinformatic platforms are helping to provide such knowledge, equipping researchers and physicians with the tools to implement precision medicine approaches across different disease areas.
Thus far, oncology the field of cancer research and treatment has arguably seen the most benefit from precision medicine. However, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company AstraZeneca believes that precision medicine will rewrite the textbook for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. Technology Networks recently had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Fidock, vice president for Diagnostic Development, Precision Medicine at AstraZeneca, to find out how the company is rising to the challenge of delivering precision medicines for chronic diseases.
Molly Campbell (MC): Can you talk about some of the ways in which AstraZeneca is actively pursuing precision medicine?
Mark Fidock (MF): I think an interesting metric is that, when we look at our portfolio, over 90% of it has a precision medicine strategy. Precision medicine as a strategy and as a discipline really does encompass the full spectrum of drug research and development. That includes finding new targets which requires the use of cutting-edge methods that are available advancing and pioneering new technologies and of course, driving for better patient outcomes and a more sustainable healthcare system.
One of the areas in which we've made major advances is oncology. AstraZeneca has already achieved over 50 regulatory-approved companion diagnostics across a variety of indications and across a variety of different sample types. This has enabled innovative targeted therapies to be developed and benefit millions of cancer patients worldwide.
The work and success we have achieved in oncology has almost produced a framework for which we can develop precision medicine approaches for chronic diseases. However, we need to recognize that chronic disease is biologically complex and very heterogenous in origin, so a key priority in this space is to investigate the ways in which precision medicine can be deployed and used that increases our disease understanding and leads to better patient outcomes.
The opportunity in the precision medicine space is huge, especially for chronic diseases. Were now in an era where, through precision medicine, we are rewriting the textbook for many indications, and changing the way in which we ultimately treat patients.
MC: Lets talk more about the tools and technologies used. What are the key technological developments that are helping us to understand the biology behind diseases, and harness that information to tailor treatments?
MF: One of the key technology areas (in which AstraZeneca is a leader) is genomics research. Our in-house Centre for Genomics Research intends to sequence 2 million genomes by 2026 which of course, isnt all that far away now. Using very innovative bioinformatics analysis methods, the groups behind this project are looking for rare variants associated with diseases. Through doing so, they are uncovering new biological insights into disease, discovering new therapeutic targets and describing the diseases at a much more granular almost molecular or genetic, way.This creates opportunities for the development of targeted therapies for different segments of a particular disease.
Key examples include the discovery of novel targets in respiratory and immunology diseases, cardiovascular research and renal and metabolic diseases. One of AstraZenecas areas of interest is pulmonary fibrosis, and the group has previously published the discovery of a gene called SPDL1 identified in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The SPDL1 gene encodes a protein known as Spindly which is responsible for signaling during cell division. Previously, this gene had not been described in relation to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The identification of a novel mechanism underpinning the disease opens the door for novel therapeutic discoveries.
In cardiomyopathy, the group also published a finding relating to the TTN gene. Both examples are key illustrations of how genomic techniques can be used to inform our understanding of a disease. These publications have been shared widely amongst the scientific community.
The TTN gene encodes a protein called titin. Truncated variants of the gene contribute to approximately 1525% cases of nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the left ventricle becomes enlarged.
MC: Can you talk about the importance of biomarkers in precision medicine? How are they used to identify patients and develop targeted therapies?
MF: I think the opportunity space for precision medicine across all disease indications that AstraZeneca is exploring is huge. It will enhance our ability to rewrite the medical textbooks that physicians are using to understand, diagnose and treat disease.
How do we do this? A core aspect of precision medicine is identifying predictive biomarkers, which is achieved through the insights gathered using genomic studies and other means. Predictive biomarkers provide the opportunity to include the right patients in our clinical trials and to develop targeted companion diagnostics and treatment approaches most appropriately.
In those disease areas where we already have multiple targeted treatment options available, we also have identified biomarkers for selecting patients. One example is in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) where A second example is IL33 a cytokine that is seen and raised in many different indications, from asthma to diabetic kidney disease and even in COVID-19.
These are areas whereby the biomarker and the scientific research surrounding the biomarker is helping us to identify the right patients, which allows us to direct where our targeted therapeutics will have the most beneficial clinical outcomes.
MC: Can you talk about the importance of collaboration in the precision medicine space? How is AstraZeneca pursuing collaborative projects?
MF: AstraZeneca works in a very collaborative way, with many collaborations established across each of the different research spaces in which we choose to operate.
We must develop companion diagnostics that are scalable and have global reach, so they're aligned not only to our targeted treatments, but they're also analytically and clinically validated and demonstrate patient benefit. We've built global partnerships to deliver these tests that can be commercialized, which really does enable maximal access to patients. It also ensures these diagnostics are used consistently within the regulatory requirements across whichever part of the world that they will be used.
Through one of our collaborations with Almac, we are developing and validating companion diagnostic tests for patient selection across a variety of different clinical trials for a range of therapeutic areas, such as chronic kidney disease, NASH and respiratory diseases. This is a robust framework that we can adapt for use with other ongoing collaborations, such as our work with Roche diagnostics, among others.
In terms of challenges, when you're innovative, leading in a space and you are creating information that is rewriting rulebooks and rewriting the ways in which treatments are being derived, of course there are going to be some challenges. I think we can all agree that health is a fundamental right that we should all have access to, and that it should be inclusive and tailored to the individual. We think that precision medicine will be a vital part of this offering, it will improve health and it will improve health equality. We need to have discussions to ensure that all healthcare systems can fully adopt this approach into clinical practice, which is achieved through interactions, partnerships and engaging in symposiums and summits. We recently spoke at the World Health Summit, and AstraZeneca aims to bring together panels of external leaders across different diagnostic organizations, to talk through policy and to look at ways in which we can help to bring novel approaches to the clinical community and healthcare structures.
MC: Looking to the future of precision medicine, what are the key priorities in precision medicine for AstraZeneca? What do you envision that this space is going to look like in, say, 1015 years?
MF: The more that we use precision medicine within the chronic disease space, and the more that science really begins to uncover how these complex chronic diseases are derived and their etiology, the more we can look to develop new therapeutic modalities. We can identify the right patient populations for diagnostics to target treatments and ultimately, this will deliver much better outcomes for patients in the long term.
What will it look like in the future? I think that a key focus is asking: how do we bring in novel diagnostics into clinical practice? How do we bring precision medicine to the patient? The future is about patient convenience. One day, it would be fantastic to be able to introduce molecular diagnostic devices to the home, so that patients can monitor their diseases as they are happening. This will involve bringing digital advancements such as progress in artificial intelligence (AI) into the different areas of precision medicine. How do we do this? How do we use digital mediums to derive actionable diagnostic data, where patients can take a diagnostic test in their own environment, that data is then shared with their treating physician enabling decisions and discussions to be held for the patients benefit? These will be important considerations.
A big part of the future is looking to further develop the scientific understanding of chronic disease and bringing together all the learnings that we've had in precision medicine and maximizing the outcome for patients. The future of precision medicine is about having a deep understanding of chronic disease at a molecular, genetic or metabolic level, in such a way that we're able to really make sure that the patient is at the heart of everything, and that they can have the benefit and the convenience of precision medicine in the future.
Mark Fidock, VP for Diagnostic Development, Precision Medicine at AstraZeneca was speaking to Molly Campbell, Senior Science Writer for Technology Networks.
Go here to read the rest:
Rewriting the Textbook for Precision Medicine - Technology Networks
- Exercise promotes a molecular profile in muscle: Research - January 21st, 2023
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory < Laboratory Medicine - January 4th, 2023
- Molecular cloning - Wikipedia - December 18th, 2022
- Trends in Molecular Medicine | Journal - ScienceDirect - December 10th, 2022
- Researchers from Insilico Medicine, University of Copenhagen, and University of Chicago unravel molecular secrets hidden in premature aging diseases... - December 2nd, 2022
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Week: October 2-8, 2022 - October 29th, 2022
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Medicine - October 29th, 2022
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine | Faculty of Medicine - October 21st, 2022
- Molecular Diagnostics > Fact Sheets > Yale Medicine - October 21st, 2022
- Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine | Cambridge Core - October 13th, 2022
- UT Southwestern ranked top health care institution globally for published research by Nature Index - UT Southwestern - October 13th, 2022
- Common Antibiotics Are Losing Their Potency. Researchers Pinpoint Mechanism to Restore It. - NYU Langone Health - October 13th, 2022
- expert reaction to study looking at integrating human stem cell-derived brain-like tissue in the brains of newborn rats - Science Media Centre - October 13th, 2022
- HTG Provides Update on Third Quarter Progress Toward Its Transcriptome-Informed Approach to Drug Discovery - Yahoo Finance - October 13th, 2022
- UVA Discovers Key Driver of High Blood Pressure - UVA Health Newsroom - October 13th, 2022
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Lung Cancer Genomics job with NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU | 311727 - Times Higher Education - October 13th, 2022
- Common cold may increase the risk of long Covid - Earth.com - October 13th, 2022
- Caris' Precision Oncology Alliance Welcomes The Cancer Institute at The University of Tennessee Medical Center - PR Newswire - October 13th, 2022
- Merus Announces Publication of Abstract on MCLA-129 at the 34th EORTC/NCI/AACR (ENA) Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics - Yahoo... - October 13th, 2022
- Molecular Test Could Improve Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer - Technology Networks - October 13th, 2022
- UTSW researchers identify key player in cellular response to stress - EurekAlert - October 4th, 2022
- New Antibody Demonstrates Therapeutic Benefits Against Alzheimers - SciTechDaily - October 4th, 2022
- Mount Sinai study uncovers mechanisms of reactive oxygen species in stem cell function and inflammation prevention - EurekAlert - October 4th, 2022
- NovoPath Pushes the Limits of Laboratory Information Systems with Integrated Workflows for Genetic and Molecular Testing - PR Newswire - October 4th, 2022
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioinformatics job with NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU | 311073 - Times Higher Education - October 4th, 2022
- Breast Cancer Awareness | Nick Jacobs | An unlikely partnership: The United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command and the Joyce Murtha Breast... - October 4th, 2022
- Tackling resistance to HIF2 drugs with an RNA-based therapy - UT Southwestern - October 4th, 2022
- OncoNano Medicine Announces Positive Phase 2 Data for Pegsitacianine as an adjunct to Cytoreductive Surgery of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis - Business... - October 4th, 2022
- SIMATS organizes Induction Ceremony - Afternoonnews - Afternoon News - October 4th, 2022
- ExPath Grad Student Madeline Mayday Awarded Grant from the NIDDK Cooperative Centers of Excellence in Hematology - Yale School of Medicine - September 25th, 2022
- Blood Cancer Discovery Publication Further Validates Exscientia's AI Precision Medicine Platform for Improving Patient Outcomes - Business Wire - September 25th, 2022
- New Startups Built From UC Davis Innovations Drive Solutions in Food, Health and Agriculture - University of California, Davis - September 25th, 2022
- Scientists Discover New Cancer Treatment - The Morning News - September 25th, 2022
- Biden says 'The pandemic is over,' but health experts disagree - Chief Healthcare Executive - September 25th, 2022
- Discovery Illuminates How Parkinson's Disease Spreads in The Brain - Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom - September 25th, 2022
- AI Used to Determine Cause of Alzheimer's and Related Disorders - Inside Precision Medicine - September 25th, 2022
- Looking Ahead in the Treatment of Breast Cancer - Targeted Oncology - September 25th, 2022
- Researchers identify potential biomarker to distinguish two aggressive types of brain tumors in children - EurekAlert - September 25th, 2022
- New study reveals breakthrough infections increase immunity to COVID-19 - OHSU News - September 25th, 2022
- Coronavirus Today: Who's dying of COVID-19 now? - Los Angeles Times - September 25th, 2022
- Hoag Named Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Center of Excellence, Publishes Results of Breast and Prostate Cancer Trials - PR Newswire - September 8th, 2022
- Orbital Therapeutics Launches to Advance New Frontiers of Science with the Next Generation of Innovative RNA Medicines - Yahoo Finance - September 8th, 2022
- Scientists urged the Biden administration to launch an Operation Warp Speed to develop inhaled COVID vaccines. China beat the U.S. to the punch -... - September 8th, 2022
- Foundation Medicine to Share 14 Abstracts at the 2022 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress Demonstrating the Power of Genomic... - September 8th, 2022
- Monte Rosa Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for MRT-2359, a GSPT1-directed Molecular Glue Degrader Phase... - September 8th, 2022
- Biden administration says the once-a-year shot phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has arrived - The Boston Globe - September 8th, 2022
- ICCBS welcomes students of MPhil and PhD Programs 2022 - The Academia Mag - September 8th, 2022
- Exciting PhD positions at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) job with EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY (EMBL) | 308114 - Times... - September 8th, 2022
- Congratulations to our NRF award winners | UCT News - University of Cape Town News - September 8th, 2022
- Patients with some forms of aggressive esophageal cancers may benefit from treatment targeting how cells self-regulate - EurekAlert - September 8th, 2022
- Molecular Medicine (M.Sc.) - Georg-August-Universitt Gttingen - August 30th, 2022
- Gradalis Announces Publication in Nature Communications Medicine Identifying Survival Predicting Biomarker in Patients with Ovarian Cancer Treated... - August 30th, 2022
- Feinstein Institutes Get $3M From Lupus Research Alliance to Study Remission and Future Therapies - Business Wire - August 30th, 2022
- Unlocking the Power of Precision Medicine the Rheumatology Example - Technology Networks - August 30th, 2022
- When to trust your covid test results and when to question them | Mint - Mint - August 30th, 2022
- Molecular Diagnostics Market Report 2022-2030: Increasing Adoption of Point-Of-Care (Poc) Testing and the Development of Novel Assays Presents... - August 30th, 2022
- Advancing Precision Oncology, Ochsner Health First to Fully Integrate with Tempus and Epic's Genomics Module - Newswise - August 30th, 2022
- Tiny, Touch-Based Sensor Could Help Patients Stay on Top of Their Medications - SciTechDaily - August 30th, 2022
- Stellar Scholars Join CLAS Faculty - UConn Today - University of Connecticut - August 30th, 2022
- COVID-19 gave new urgency to the science of restoring smell - Science News Magazine - August 30th, 2022
- Dr. Sun lab wins R01 from National Institutes of Health to study liver proteins - Wayne State University - August 22nd, 2022
- Pasithea Therapeutics to Present Results of Tolerizing Vaccine Program at Prestigious International Immunotherapy Conference - GlobeNewswire - August 22nd, 2022
- New Study Identifies How A Group Of Genes Are Linked To Behavioral Conditions - Forbes - August 22nd, 2022
- New gene variant that protects against coronary heart disease uncovered - EurekAlert - August 22nd, 2022
- How a Japanese Herbal Medicine Protects the Gut Against Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Neuroscience News - August 22nd, 2022
- Insilico Medicine presents on AI for drug discovery at 9th Annual Aging Research and Drug Discovery Conference - EurekAlert - August 22nd, 2022
- Why polio is back on the radar of Canadian health officials - Brighter World - August 22nd, 2022
- Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE, Assesses the Value of I-SPY2 for Neoadjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer - Cancer Network - August 22nd, 2022
- Exciting PhD positions at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) job with EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY LABORATORY (EMBL) | 304753 - Times... - August 22nd, 2022
- Sensor could help patients stay on top of their meds - EurekAlert - August 22nd, 2022
- Trivitron Healthcare launches CoE in metabolomics, genomics, newborn screening and molecular diagnostics - Express Healthcare - August 22nd, 2022
- Research Trends of Moxibustion Therapy for Pain Treatment Over the Pas | JPR - Dove Medical Press - August 22nd, 2022
- Edited Transcript of EXAI.OQ earnings conference call or presentation 18-Aug-22 12:30pm GMT - Yahoo Finance - August 22nd, 2022
- Roche launches COVID-19 test that detects and differentiates the emerging variant of interest BA.2.75 - PR Newswire - August 22nd, 2022
- Will Omicron BA.5 Be the Last of the COVID Variants? - The Epoch Times - August 22nd, 2022
- Many Paths to Failure | Harvard Medical School - Harvard Medical School - August 5th, 2022
- Mitochondrial DNA Mutations Linked to Heart Disease Risk - University of California San Diego - August 5th, 2022
- UC Davis Sets a New Record, Surpasses $1 Billion in Research Funding - University of California, Davis - August 5th, 2022
- A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19 - Nature.com - August 5th, 2022
- Summer Scholars leave Duke with a once-in-a-lifetime research experience - Duke University - August 5th, 2022