Healthcare and Science thomsonreuters.com

The molecular diagnostic field has just sort of exploded.

I help oversee the strategic marketing for Caris Life Sciences. My duties necessitate that I develop relationships with organizations such as Thomson Reuters, academic institutions for research as well as commercial organizations who have particular capabilities or technologies that are synergistic with our internal business efforts. Over the next 2 - 5 years we will be positioning ourselves for growth by not only expanding Caris's portfolio of services in anatomic pathology and molecular profiling, but also by expanding into blood-based molecular diagnostics. Highly sensitive and specific blood-based molecular diagnostics will ultimately enable treating physicians to more effectively detect diseases earlier, many of which are typically identified at a late stage of progression today.  Furthermore, blood analysis will remove some of the logistical hurdles associated with tissue-based analysis, not to mention time and cost.

My previous background was in pharma. I was employed in clinical research for Eli Lilly and Company and similar businesses for about 7 years. There I developed a deep interest in the business of biopharma and witnessed that a paradigm shift was emerging as to how companies pursued development of their lead compounds; shifting from a disease lineage model to a molecular target approach.  

Seeking a more senior role in these types of new opportunities, I decided to return to business school. While in school, decided that oncology was a really hot, interesting area of focus, specifically in the field of molecular diagnostic testing. As I was finishing school I had a really great opportunity with a small start-up called the Molecular Profiling Institute (MPI), Phoenix AZ. They had an exciting oncology service called Target Now. It was based on the concept that by identifying the individual molecular profile of a person's cancer, we could help oncologists and pathologists provide better customized therapeutic options and strategies for patients with late-stage cancer, many of which had already progressed on 4-10 prior therapies. MPI's thinking from a diagnostic perspective was completely aligned with that of the more progressive pharmaceutical companies, such as Genentech and Amgen. 

Our small team was the first in the US to launch a microarray based diagnostic as well as the first to introduce the new prostate cancer diagnostic test PCA3.  I also helped develop and launch a high risk cardiovascular management program and breast cancer prognostic assay. The Molecular Profiling Institute was purchased in 2008 by Caris Diagnostics. We continue to offer our Target Now service and PCA3 to physicians nationwide.

My current role is focused in on defining go-to-market strategies for emerging opportunities in oncology. This requires me to assess and analyze emerging technologies and opportunities that encompass our various business efforts. That's why it has been important for our organization to involve a superior intelligence partner like Thomson Reuters. To be honest, as many people are acutely aware, the molecular diagnostic field has just exploded. It's very difficult for one person to keep their finger on the pulse of the market and confirm what is truly relevant. Because of what I, and many others at my company do day to day, it is critical to have the tools to at our disposal to make certain our organization and senior leadership is aware of what is going on in the market as well as academic research centers.

Thomson Reuters has also been extremely helpful to assess key biomarkers. It is important that we have very specific information on what functions biomarkers play and what influence they may have on the overall development or progression of a particular cancer or disease.

In terms of how far off we are for personalized medicine there's some regulatory considerations and reimbursement issues that need to be addressed in short order.  Diagnostic companies are not reimbursed adequately for the value they provide which presents challenges and hurdles for the companies best positioned to introduce many of these promising, potentially life changing, diagnostic tools.

While we may be many years off from walking into the clinic and getting a truly clinically relevant "personalized profile and lifestyle management program", I can say that diagnostic tools are already in place to help aid in the individualization of clinical care.  Many of us have already witnessed the value KRAS mutational testing has provided to the management of patients with colorectal cancer. I think you will see similar stories evolve over time, until ultimately all cancers becomes chronic, not acute diseases.