NEW YORK – In 2023, Precision Medicine Online readers were most interested in stories about new targetable biomarkers and genetic testing tools, the impact of economic headwinds and regulation on life sciences firms, and access disparities.
Readers have historically been drawn to stories about new therapeutically targetable biomarkers, and Claudin 18.2 is a promising one in cancer drug development to target because it is overexpressed in many tumor types, particularly gastric cancers, but has limited expression in healthy tissue. The top-read article this year was about a collaboration to study the activity of Carsgen Therapeutics' autologous CAR T-cell therapy CT041 with Moderna's off-the-shelf messenger RNA cancer vaccine — two drugs designed to target claudin 18.2-expressing cancer cells.
Readers also continue to be interested in stories about new genomic testing options, like low-cost whole-genome sequencing, and how integrating next-generation sequencing earlier in patients' treatment trajectory impacts their outcomes. But access barriers persisted in 2023, and precision treatment and testing advances weren't available to all. Our analyses of these trends in our annual survey was popular with readers.
Regulation was likely weighing heavily on the minds of our industry readers after the US Food and Drug Administration released a controversial rule in September proposing to bring laboratory-developed tests under its oversight. Our scoop shortly after on Translational Software having to shutter services after failing to achieve 510(k) clearance for its pharmacogenetics decision support software quickly climbed to the most-read list this year.
2023 was ultimately a tough year economically for the life sciences industry, and each month brought announcements of layoffs and restructuring from across the sector. As such, it's no surprise that a brief about Alaunos Therapeutics' decision to wind down a Phase I/II trial of its autologous T-cell therapy and cut more than half its workforce so it could focus on developing its T-cell receptor discovery platform was among the most-read articles.
Here are the 10 most popular stories in Precision Medicine Online in 2023:
- Carsgen, Moderna Go After CLDN18.2-Expressing Cancers With CAR-T, mRNA Vaccine Combo
- NICE Recommends Merck's Keytruda for MSI-High, dMMR Endometrial, GI Cancers
- Cardiff Oncology Launches New Phase II Trial in RAS-Mutated Colorectal Cancer
- Alaunos Therapeutics Laying Off 60 Percent of its Workforce, Exploring Strategic Alternatives
- Translational Software Shutting Down PGx Decision Support Services After FDA Regulatory Defeat
- Ultima Genomics, Genome Insight Partner on Low-Cost Whole-Genome Sequencing for Cancer Patients
- Survey Reveals Changing Genetic Testing Patterns, Persistent Disparities in Precision Oncology
- Precision Oncology in 2022: New Drugs and Tests Amid Ongoing Access Barriers
- Lung Cancer Patients Who Have NGS Results Prior to First-Line Treatment Live Longer, Study Suggests
- JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, Day 1: Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Mirati, Johnson & Johnson