Patient’s-eye view shows the gaps in precision medicine: a Perspective

It happened to me, the way it has doubtlessly happened to so many in our industry. A loved one is diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, and the clock is ticking. The concepts you encounter daily in the abstract — as biological mechanisms, data readouts, deal flows, stock moves — become devastatingly real, and all you want is to turn your knowledge into action. But what will you find when you try?

About two hours into my post-diagnosis shock and grief, two words rang in my head: “molecular profiling.” My loved one’s cancer has a terrible prognosis on standard of care, but as part of this industry, I have the privilege of knowing that the right mutation or protein marker could open a door to a more promising option...