One drug company is hoping to collect DNA from 100,000 cancer patients with the goal of matching them with drug companies who could offer the most effective help.
A report appeared earlier this week in Technology Review outlining the firm Strata Oncology's plans to sequence DNA from 50,000 cancer patients annually to look for mutations in tumor tissue. The company was inspired by the National Cancer Institute's study, the Match trial, which has offered free biopsies and DNA tests to patients in the U.S. since last year. The data is used to direct patients to the best match among 20 possible medicines.
Is lack of DNA testing slowing drug development?
Technology Review asks whether all cancer patients shouldn't receive DNA testing, suggesting that there is some evidence that drug companies don't have enough information to help them develop effective drugs.
Currently, insurers don't cover DNA screening because there isn't much evidence yet that doing so helps outcomes, but that may well be due to the lack of DNA screenings being used in this way. Perhaps the Match trial and Strata's program will change this.
For more information, see the report in Technology Review.