Study Documents Biopharmaceutical Industry's Increased Investment in Personalized Cancer Treatments, Including Immunotherapies, Underlining Importance of Reimbursement Policies That Facilitate Sustainable Access

WASHINGTON , Oct. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A quantitative analysis conducted by L.E.K. Consulting and published today by the Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC) shows that the biopharmaceutical industry is deeply invested in developing immunotherapies and other cancer treatments that are designed to influence the activity of specific molecules involved in the growth of cancerous cells. The study underlines the importance of aligning patients, policymakers, and representatives from all sectors of the health care ecosystem on reimbursement policies that will ensure sustainable access to biomarker-based cancer therapies, some of which are associated with dramatic clinical benefits but increased manufacturing costs based on the need to develop a personalized therapy for each patient by genetically re-engineering the patient's own cells.

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The Evolution of Biomarker Use in Clinical Trials for Cancer Treatments: Key Findings and Implications, which relied on automated analytical techniques and manual curation to examine all oncology trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov for the inclusion of various biomarkers, reveals that 55 percent of clinical trials for cancer treatments conducted in 2018 involved the use of biomarkers, compared to just 15 percent in 2000. The biomarkers most commonly associated with trials conducted between 2016 – 2018 include immune-related markers such as CD19, CD4 and PD-1/PD-L1 as well as genetic drivers of cancer such as KRAS, ROS1, and FGFR.

"The accelerating shift in drug development documented in the study has profound implications for key stakeholders across the health care spectrum, including the pharmaceutical and diagnostic industries, providers, payers, and, most importantly, patients, who, in the future, will benefit from earlier detection and more effective treatments," PMC President Edward Abrahams wrote in the foreword for the report.

To examine the pharmaceutical industry's perspective on the emergence of these and other personalized treatment strategies as well as issues related to costs, prices and access, Meg Tirrell, Reporter, CNBC, will moderate a keynote fireside chat titled "Innovation in the Era of Personalized Medicine" with Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee, Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson, during PMC's 15^th Annual Personalized Medicine Conference at Harvard Medical School, which will take place from November 13 – 14, 2019. The chat and the subsequent panel discussion featuring representatives from an academic medical center and industry as well as Dr. Stoffels and Alex Vadas, Ph.D., who co-authored the report on behalf of L.E.K., will explore the implications of the findings and the related regulatory, reimbursement, and research challenges.

About the Personalized Medicine Coalition:
The Personalized Medicine Coalition (PMC), representing innovators, scientists, patients, providers and payers, promotes the understanding and adoption of personalized medicine concepts, services and products to benefit patients and the health system. For more information about PMC, visit www.personalizedmedicinecoalition.org.

About L.E.K. Consulting:
L.E.K. Consulting is a global management consulting firm that uses deep industry expertise and rigorous analysis to help business leaders achieve practical results with real impact. We are uncompromising in our approach to helping clients consistently make better decisions, deliver improved business performance and create greater shareholder returns. The firm advises and supports global companies that are leaders in their industries — including the largest private and public-sector organizations, private equity firms, and emerging entrepreneurial businesses. Founded in 1983, L.E.K. employs more than 1,400 professionals across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. For more information, go to www.lek.com.

Contact: Christopher J. Wells
Personalized Medicine Coalition
[email protected]
202-589-1755

SOURCE Personalized Medicine Coalition

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http://www.personalizedmedicinecoalition.org