Bionest

New Developments on the Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostic Front — Part I

In July, we attended the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London. The big news at the meeting was on the diagnostics front.  In the aftermath of the recent string of trial failures, diagnostic tools have become a critical area of focus, in the hopes that patient diagnosis and selection can be improved.   Accurately diagnosing...

Bionest

Liquid Biopsy – Looking Beyond EGFR

In April, two important reports were published — one in the New England Journal of Medicine, one in Nature — that added evidence in support of liquid biopsy as a means of monitoring for the recurrence of cancer and to predict a patient’s response to adjuvant therapy. Both studies were based on data from the...

Bionest

Towards a Universal Immuno-oncology Assay Predictive of Drug Response

We have written frequently about the growing importance of biomarkers and how diagnostics will increasingly play a dominant role in the way that therapeutics are prescribed and reimbursed. Immuno-oncology (IO) treatments in particular are expected to benefit from the availability of truly predictive biomarkers, based on the dramatic treatment gains they have achieved for a...

Bionest

PARP Inhibitors Chalk Up Impressive Gains in Ovarian Cancer Maintenance Therapy

On March 27, the FDA gave Tesaro a broad approval for its PARP inhibitor, niraparib, as maintenance therapy for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer after a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The FDA decision came well in advance of the PDUFA date set for June 30, and...

Bionest

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Makes First Bio Research Awards

Last fall, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced plans to invest $3 billion over 10 years in scientific efforts with an ambitious long-range aim to “cure, prevent or manage” all diseases. As a first part of that effort, they directed $600 million towards the establishment of the CZ Biohub in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood. This...

Bionest

Communicating Value

— Robert J. Easton, Co-Chairman, Bionest Partners   During the annual January gathering of the biopharma world in San Francisco this year, in-coming President Donald J. Trump put drug developers on notice and sent pharmaceutical and biotechnology stock prices plunging by accusing the industry of “getting away with murder” with respect to drug pricing.  ...

Bionest

Moonshot: On its Way

On September 17, Vice President Joe Biden released his final report on the Cancer Moonshot before leaving office. He announced progress on over 20 programs now underway during the effort’s first year or soon to be launched, and another two dozen for the second year of the effort and beyond.   Back in September we...

Bionest

Blue Ribbon Panel Issues Cancer Moonshot Recommendations

On September 7, a Blue Ribbon Panel — composed of 28 top cancer researchers, oncologists, patient advocates and leaders from the private sector — issued 10 recommendations aimed at speeding up advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. The panel was created as part of the Cancer Moonshot first announced in January of this...

Bionest

Collective Wisdom Around Oncology – Comments on ASCO 2016

The Bionest Oncology team spent a jam packed and exciting five days at ASCO 2016 earlier this month in Chicago.  More than 30,000 oncology professionals gathered from all around the world to discuss the latest data and innovations in oncology, and it did not disappoint. The theme of ASCO this year was Collective Wisdom, which...