According to Illumina’s CEO only about 40% of U.S. cancer patients receive genomic profiling. This brings to the fore a problem that is very much inherent to the industry - innovation is costly. As a result, it can take years until advanced therapeutic and diagnostic solutions reach most people. The task to attenuate inequalities of this kind must involve all actors, from government to insurers and providers. Innovators, especially the larger ones, have an important role to play too.
We spoke with the CEO of Roche Diagnostics, which itself has been at the forefront of genomic diagnostics. ‘NGS is a critical technology for the future of healthcare and especially so in oncology,’ Matt Sause tells us. The company has recently unveiled a new class of NGS, which could markedly speed up genome analysis. Such advancements can address the continuous challenge of access to advanced diagnostic and to corresponding therapeutic solutions. Sause illustrates Roche Diagnostics’ broader efforts to improve access: ‘One example of improving access is our self-collection HPV test, which received FDA approval last year. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet it still causes many deaths globally, partly due to sample collection. Allowing women to collect their own samples can significantly improve access, as we are testing now in a pilot in Peru’s rural areas.’
Veracyte is leveraging genomic insights to advance cancer treatment. It has developed a test, the Decipher Prostate Genomic Classifier, that informs treatment decisions for prostate cancer patients—for example, determining whether chemotherapy, radiation therapy or active surveillance is most appropriate. ‘Despite the proven value and inclusion in key guidelines, however, only a third of prostate cancer patients receive such tests,’ Veracyte’s CEO, Marc Stapley, tells us. Costs for such novel tests are certainly an issue, as reimbursement can be inconsistent. Ultimately, however, spending more on diagnostics and less on treatment will lead to cost reductions for health systems. Stapley believes that the main setback is healthcare’s inherent status- quo bias. ‘It takes time to change clinical practice, which underscores the importance of evidence, so that physicians, patients and payers can trust a test’s results and impact,’ he notes.
A number of providers are actively addressing accessibility issues. ‘As cancer diagnostics becomes more complex, more customized, and more costly, we plan to build on our core technologies and existing infrastructure to offer more specialized solutions,’ shares Kyoko Deguchi, the CEO of PHC Group. Lourdes Weltzien, Life Sciences President of Meridian Bioscience, stresses the potential of innovative liquid biopsies, being non-invasive, to drive down costs, while bringing a high level of diagnostic accuracy. ‘We launched our Liquid Biopsy Master Mixes at the end of 2023 into early 2024 to help developers create more effective cancer screening tests. This marks an important new chapter for us as we leverage our deep expertise in assay development to support the future of cancer diagnostics,’ Weltzien notes.
It transpired in a number of our interviews that artificial intelligence (AI) may have an essential role to play at improving access. Much of this has to do with streamlining otherwise burdensome (and costly) processes, whether in research labs or hospitals. The CEO of Tempus AI, Eric Lefkofsky, shares: ‘We will touch nearly a million lives through genomic efforts, generating vast datasets to drive efficiency and innovation in biopharma and academic research. Currently, we are connected to 2,700 hospitals—nearly half of all U.S. hospitals—and aim to reach 80- 100% connectivity. This network is critical for deploying AI solutions at scale, ensuring doctors and patients access these predictive insights.’ Furthermore, AI is increasingly transforming clinical trials, enhancing efficiency, safety, and patient engagement. Medidata offers digital solutions that integrate remote monitoring, telemedicine, and home health services to reduce travel requirements and enable participation through, among others, mobile apps. The objective is to engage more patients with trials. ‘Greater patient engagement in clinical trials is essential to improving healthcare outcomes and ensuring treatments reflect the needs of diverse populations,’ Medidata’s Chief Operating Officer, Joe Schmidt shares. Additionally, AI solutions like Medidata’s can eventually reduce the long timelines of clinical trials, bringing costs further down.
Looking into the future, AI may improve access to treatments by designing drugs de novo, i.e. entirely on its own. Absci is a company that has developed an AI antibody design platform. One of their antibodies is entering clinical trials this year, with the second expected for 2026. ‘ABS-101 is our anti-TL1A antibody for inflammatory bowel disease, entering the clinic shortly, with a Phase 1 interim readout expected in the second half of the year. We believe it has the potential to be a best- in-class antibody in the TL1A space, and this will be a key milestone, marking our transition to a clinical-stage AI drug discovery company,’ Sean McClain, Absci’s Founder and CEO tells us. Should de novo AI drugs become a reality, they are likely to be produced at a fraction of the cost and time required for traditional therapies.