Startups growing all over the world, merging data, developing complexe systems for interpretation of cancer diagnostics seem to overcome the old rules. Patients get more and more aware of their own health, no more trusting in big pharmacy with high prices, looking over the rim of the teacup, searching for alternatives. "David" like companies play a more and more major role in developing little steps in cancer diagnostics and treatment while "Goliath" companies try to keep up and keep their business as profitable as possible.
Maybe it is worth a look at the small companies, combining their strength in order to help as many patients as possible to find the best treatment for each single one. Precision medicine is the keyword – but with the face to the patient, not only to drug development. It is already possible to pre-test the efficacy of drugs to the blood of patients in vitro (outside the body) with methods like maintrac®. Combining this test with cancer guidelines would presumably lead to higher survival rates, less side effects and a better life.
By adding the data of the dynamics of circulating tumor cells (liquid biopsy) to the clinical data and combining, there is a moonshot in predictive analyses of cancer therapy. While decreasing cell numbers correlate with a good prognosis, increasing cell numbers (by 10-fold) show a much higher rate of recurrance than at least stable numbers. maintrac® could be used as a traffic light system:
- Decreasing = go on with therapy
- Stable = be aware
- Increasing = consider change of therapy.
The maintrac liquid biopsy is already in routine use almost all over the world, with over 50.000 tests done trajectory at university research and over 20.000 (also trajectory) in direct doctor-patient contact. Independent from any drug selling.
Publications can be found at www.maintrac.com