What You Should Know:

– Clarivate Plc, a provider of trusted information and insights, today unveiled its highly anticipated 2024 Drugs to Watch report, shining a spotlight on 13 cutting-edge therapeutics poised to revolutionize healthcare in the coming year.

– These promising drugs span a diverse range of conditions, from debilitating diseases like sickle cell anemia and multiple myeloma to common ailments like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Top 13 Drugs to Watch in 2024

The 2024 Drugs to Watch, are:

– Aflibercept (high dose): Less frequent injections for treating AMD, DME, and DR, potentially reducing treatment burden.

– Budesonide (TARPEYO®/Kinpeygo®/Nefecon): Improved treatment for primary immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy with better safety profile than conventional corticosteroids.

– Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd): Potential best-in-class TROP2-targeted ADC for breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.

– Efanesoctocog alfa (ALTUVIIIO™/BIVV001): First once-weekly factor VIII replacement therapy for hemophilia A, offering improved convenience.

– Ensifentrine (RPL554): First inhaled dual PDE3 and PDE4 inhibitor for COPD, potentially reducing exacerbations with fewer side effects.

– Exagamglogene autotemcel (CASGEVY™ /exa-cel) and lovotibeglogene autotemcel (LYFGENIA™/lovo-cel): Groundbreaking gene-editing therapies for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, offering potential cures.

– Mirikizumab (Omvoh™/ LY-3074828): First-in-class therapy for ulcerative colitis and potential third-in-class option for Crohn’s disease.

– Niraparib + abiraterone acetate (AKEEGA™): First dual-action tablet for deleterious or suspected deleterious BRCA-mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

– RSVpreF (ABRYSVO™/PF-06928316) and RSVpreF3 (AREXVY/GSK-3844766A): First RSV vaccines for infants and older adults, addressing a major public health concern.

– Talquetamab (TALVEY™): First-in-class bispecific antibody for multiple myeloma, offering a new treatment option for heavily pretreated patients.

– Zolbetuximab (IMAB362): First-in-class claudin 18.2 inhibitor for HER2-negative metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, addressing a significant unmet need.

Beyond the Drugs

The report also highlights the growing influence of new technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and AI/ML in the drug development process. These tools hold immense potential to accelerate innovation and bring life-saving therapies to patients faster.

“This year’s Drugs to Watch report showcases the incredible advancements taking place across the pharmaceutical landscape,” says Mike Ward, Global Head of Thought Leadership, Life Sciences and Healthcare at Clarivate. “New modalities like antibody drug conjugates and AI-powered tools are fueling medical breakthroughs, offering hope to patients with previously unmet needs.”

What You Should Know:

– Labcorp, a global leader in innovative laboratory services, and Hawthorne Effect, Inc., a pioneer in technology-driven clinical trial solutions, have announced a groundbreaking partnership to revolutionize clinical trials with a focus on decentralization.

– This collaboration aims to unlock unprecedented levels of patient diversity, reduce site burden, and accelerate study timelines for pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device sponsors.

Decentralization: The Future of Clinical Trials

Traditional clinical trials often face limitations, including geographical restrictions, inconvenient patient travel, and underrepresentation of diverse populations. The Labcorp-Hawthorne Effect alliance tackles these challenges head-on by embracing decentralization. Hawthorne Effect’s cutting-edge digital platform allows complex study visits and data collection to be conducted seamlessly in patients’ homes or local communities.

This innovative approach offers a multitude of benefits:

– Increased Patient Diversity and Inclusion: Decentralization removes geographic barriers, making it easier for individuals from diverse backgrounds to participate in trials, leading to more representative study results.

– Reduced Site Burden: By shifting some responsibilities from traditional clinical sites to patients’ homes, the pressure on research centers is lessened, improving overall efficiency.

– Accelerated Enrollment and Timelines: The convenience and flexibility of decentralized trials can attract more participants and streamline study processes, leading to faster completion times.

“At Labcorp, we are committed to making life-saving clinical trials more accessible, diverse and inclusive to all communities,” said Jonathan DiVincenzo, Labcorp’s President of Central Laboratories and International. “Through this collaboration, we look forward to combining Labcorp’s global laboratory network and logistics capabilities with Hawthorne Effect’s digital platform to advance our decentralized clinical trial capabilities, increase clinical trial accessibility and diversity, and bring greater value to patients, their physicians and our sponsors.”

What You Should Know:

– Debiopharm, a leading independent biopharmaceutical company, and ThinkingNodeLife.ai (TNL), a pioneer in AI-powered drug discovery, today announced a groundbreaking partnership to propel the development of a cutting-edge cancer drug.

– This strategic partnership combines Debiopharm’s deep pharmaceutical expertise with TNL’s revolutionary AI Digital Cells Lab platform, unlocking new frontiers in cancer treatment innovation.

Unlocking the Hidden Potential of a Promising Drug

The partnership focuses on unlocking the full potential of one of Debiopharm’s promising cancer drugs. By leveraging TNL’s AI-powered platform, the collaboration will explore:

• Expanding Indications: TNL’s platform will identify potential new applications for the drug, extending its reach and impact on cancer patients.
• Combination Therapy Optimization: Utilizing AI digital knockdowns, the team will identify synergistic combinations with other drugs in development, maximizing the therapeutic efficacy of Debiopharm’s cancer drug.
• Mechanism of Action Validation: TNL’s digital cell clones will provide a deeper understanding of the drug’s mechanism of action, ensuring targeted and effective treatment strategies.
• Comparative Analysis: Digital cell clones will enable side-by-side comparisons with existing cancer treatments, providing valuable insights for optimal drug selection and development.
• Biomarker Discovery: The partnership will focus on identifying predictive biomarkers that can guide patient selection and treatment personalization, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

“This partnership represents a significant leap forward in cancer drug development,” said Bertrand Ducrey, CEO of Debiopharm. “By combining our expertise with TNL’s innovative AI platform, we are confident in unlocking the full potential of this promising drug and bringing it to even more patients in need.”

What You Should Know:

• Deepcell, a pioneer in artificial intelligence (AI)-powered single cell analysis to fuel deep biological discoveries, today announced a research collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced computer vision solutions in life sciences.
• Deepcell will incorporate NVIDIA AI into its single cell analysis technology, working collaboratively with NVIDIA to codevelop new uses for generative AI and multimodal applications in cell biology. The joint collaboration aims to advance understanding of cell morphology, and ultimately accelerate the use of AI-powered cellular analysis in cell biology and translational research across a broad swath of applications including cancer, stem cell, and cell therapy.

 Revolutionizing Life Sciences Through Cutting-Edge AI Collaboration

Deepcell, in partnership with NVIDIA, is poised to revolutionize life sciences by harnessing the power of multimodal generative AI. This collaboration aims to develop innovative algorithms, utilizing NVIDIA’s Clara suite and computing expertise, to enhance cell image analysis. Deepcell’s REM-I platform, set to be fully commercialized in 2024, integrates high-dimensional cell morphology analysis and sorting capabilities, enabling groundbreaking discoveries in cancer biology, developmental biology, stem cell biology, gene therapy, and more. The synergy between Deepcell’s technological strengths and NVIDIA’s resources promises to usher in a new era of insights and advancements in the field.

“Deepcell has catalyzed the field of morpholomics and showcased the benefits of a

revolutionary new method for single-cell analysis using brightfield cell imaging and artificial

intelligence,” said Mahyar Salek, Ph.D., Cofounder, President, and Chief Technology Officer at

Deepcell. “As we look to the future, we see many possibilities for incorporating multimodal and

generative AI into our platform, and leveraging our proprietary database of billions of cell

images to train additional AI models. Our relationship with NVIDIA will help us accelerate such

enhancements, and bring these advancements to our customers, enabling new discoveries at

unprecedented speed.”

Escalating competition for clinical trial sites, in tandem with other industry-wide challenges such as changing regulations; a lack of bandwidth and resources; identifying ideal sites and recruiting and retaining patients, are posing significant obstacles for sponsors and site teams within a global study portfolio, particularly in relation to clinical trial payments. Factors such as decentralized clinical trials, inflation and site attrition contribute to inconsistencies and financial confusion, especially with outdated payment solutions.

To address these persistent challenges, sponsors can leverage modern clinical trial payment solutions. The development of innovative approaches supports a comprehensive global strategy, the goal being to reduce the administrative burden associated with site payment processes. By adopting proven solutions, sponsors can be confident in ensuring timely and consistent payments for each trial, thereby minimizing queries and disputes from sites. 

This transformation is made possible through fully integrated systems that provide on-demand access to payment information, ultimately contributing to elevated levels of site satisfaction.

Navigating the Global Complexities and Dilemmas of Clinical Trial Payments

Clinical trial payment processes currently face several challenges that can adversely impact trial efficiency, precision and site satisfaction. Significant obstacles across their trial portfolios include:

• The Impact of Increased Competition and Geographic Diversity: Fierce competition for trial sites has created serious obstacles. According to research from Bain, 53% of the sites lack adequate bandwidth to actually run clinical trials. This is in stark contrast to just 14% before the Covid-19 pandemic and 47% at the pandemic’s peak. This heightened competition forces sites into difficult decisions, often leading to the rejection of trial opportunities. The complexity is further compounded by conducting trials across diverse geographic locations, evidenced by a 39% increase in the mean number of countries per Phase III clinical trial. Additionally, Phase II and Phase III trials see increases of 41% and 25%, respectively, in the number of investigative sites.

• The Current Clinical Trial Environment and its Influence on Payments: The influence of payment periods becomes evident with more than 80% of sites wanting a 30-day payment schedule. The reality is that evolving trial environments also introduce new intricacies to site payments, with factors such as decentralized clinical trial elements, high inflation rates and site attrition making trial protocols more complex. Splitting payments between sites and vendors can result in inaccuracies, hampering internal and site reporting capabilities. Further, legacy payment solutions prove inadequate, lacking the transparency and efficiency required to effectively address the diverse challenges associated with site payments.

• Dynamic Economic and Political Environments: Economic conditions prompt sites to request additional budget items, impacting payment schedules and cash flow for CROs and sponsors. Varying levels of economic development and legal systems lead to potential fraud and currency control complications as well. Changes in domestic affairs, including political and social unrest and governmental structural shifts, directly impact site relationships and payment capabilities, necessitating careful navigation to ensure seamless global payments.

Legacy payment solutions are starting to reach the end of their life cycle and, as they stand, are not equipped to address this extensive array of challenges. So, to handle payments across sites and clinical trials, sponsors must opt for strategic solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the full trial payment process.

A Contemporary Approach to Streamlining Clinical Trial Payments

Sponsors must embrace comprehensive solutions that simplify payment processes, enhance transparency and ensure precise and prompt compensation for clinical trial sites. 

Transitioning to advanced trial payment solutions enables sponsors to achieve:

• Enhanced Payment Efficiency: Modern clinical trial payment solutions significantly boost payment efficiency through diverse features and capabilities. Systematic alignment of protocol structures and triggers for payable visits ensures accurate and timely compensation. Features such as Electronic Data Capture (EDC) import, data reconciliation and automated payment calculation streamline processes. The Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) approach automates payments, providing sponsors with on-demand access to payment information and detailed reports by country, payee and currency, thereby enhancing transparency for strong financial management.

• Comprehensive Oversight: Modern clinical trial payment solutions ensure transparency and traceability at every stage of the clinical trial. User-friendly payment portals grant sites 24/7 access to complete payment information, fostering increased visibility and accountability. The integration of key clinical data from EDC systems, study budgets, agreements and schedules of events enables automated invoicing for streamlined efficiency and prevent payment errors. Systematic alignment of protocol structures and payable visit triggers, along with EDC import, data reconciliation and payment calculation, ensures smooth operations.

• Consistency across the payments’ lifecycles to increase total ROI: Through the new approach sponsors can help improve tax planning and management as well as cash flow. They can reduce the burden on clinical and financial staff for payments, disputes, reporting and reconciliations, all while minimizing site and study overall costs and overpayments. 

By adopting a modern approach and leveraging advanced trial payment solutions, sponsors benefit from a combination of expertise and cutting-edge technologies that drive cost and performance efficiencies. This shift also contributes to higher rates of site satisfaction, alleviating the burden on clinical operations and allowing personnel to concentrate entirely on clinical trial management.

Optimizing the Path Forward for Site Payments

The growing intricacy of clinical trials, heightened competition for sites and geographical diversity have rendered conventional payment methods unwieldy and ineffective. Through consolidation, the streamlining of payment processes becomes possible, guaranteeing investigators receive precise and timely compensation. This, in turn, fosters improved trial conduct and overall success.

About Jim DiCesare

Jim DiCesare is passionate about delivering innovative site activation and site payment services to clinical trials. With over 25 years of industry experience leading clinical operations teams at Merck, DrugDev, and now IQVIA Technologies, Jim has expertise across the contracting, budgeting, and investigator grant payment management continuum. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has written for a variety of publications. Jim earned a B.S. in Accounting from Kutztown University.

Public health learnings and data gathered over the 40 years of the AIDS crisis can help officials tackle the rise of congenital syphilis, which increased 755% from  2012 to 2021 and another 30% in 2022. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently noted “missed opportunities for prevention, primarily timely testing and appropriate treatment of syphilis during pregnancy” as contributing factors to its meteoric rise. Public health departments and medical institutions should look to successful initiatives in the AIDS ecosystem, such as expanded at-home testing and linkage to care, to close testing and treatment gaps for congenital syphilis. 

Early public health efforts around AIDS were hampered by a lack of accurate and timely messaging, which paved the way for a rise in stigma and misinformation surrounding HIV. This worked against patients who might otherwise have sought testing and treatment, and remains a factor in HIV care today. The overall decrease in HIV infections in recent years has been attributed to the expansion of HIV testing, timely treatment, and the prescription of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Just as the AIDS crisis disproportionately impacted men who have sex with men, congenital syphilis impacts Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native mothers more than white mothers. 

Public health initiatives can target at-risk patients in these communities with at-home testing programs, which already successfully screen patients for HIV and STIs around the country. Public health departments know their communities best and often have relationships with at-risk patient populations. For example, the Fulton County Board of Health in Atlanta developed an HIV/STI screening program based on the needs of their community to reach marginalized patients in the area, whose barriers to care included  language concerns, immigration and deportation-related concerns, and sexuality-related cultural norms — not unlike concerns patients at-risk for congenital syphilis might have. Atlanta has some of the highest rates of HIV in the United States, and in the first year of the program, officials found that 40% of patients tested had not been tested for STIs the year prior, and 20% of patients had not been tested for HIV in the same period. Public health initiatives aimed at targeting congenital syphilis clusters could similarly target events with families, at-risk mothers, and other people who are pregnant or could become pregnant.

Attempts to reduce the impact of congenital syphilis should also entertain linkage to care models popularized by the HIV ecosystem. Linkage to care is a necessary precursor to antiretroviral therapy initiation and viral suppression, and the federal benchmark for care completion is meeting with a provider within one month or a reactive test result within a minimal timeframe. At-home testing programs targeting congenital syphilis could utilize the same linkage to care practice to connect pregnant people to treatment after testing to reduce stillbirth, miscarriage, premature birth and infant death. This is a powerful move for public health officials trained to work with populations at-risk for congenital syphilis, who have already earned community trust, rather than providers who may unintentionally trigger shame or use stigmatizing language.

At-home diagnostics programs based on HIV linkage to care models focused on Black, Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native mothers and pregnant people at-risk for congenital syphilis can break down barriers to testing and treatment. Unlike the early years of the AIDS epidemic, public health officials already have tools to curb the spread, but it is crucial that these programs get off the ground quickly. Between 1981 and 1990, the CDC reported 100,777 deaths from AIDS, with a third of those deaths reported in 1990 alone. Without fast action, this could become a much larger and costlier epidemic for pregnant people and their children. 

About David Stein

David Stein is the CEO of Ash Wellness, a B2B at-home diagnostic company launching remote care services for healthcare organizations and D2C businesses. Ash Wellness offers white-lable operations management, testing via a CLIA/CAP certified lab network, kitting and fulfillment, and modern technology infrastructure. In his role, David is responsible for mission vision, strategy oversight, fundraising, and corporate development. He is a graduate of the Cornell Tech MBA program.

What You Should Know:

– Veracyte, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCYT), a cancer diagnostics company acquires C2i Genomics, Inc., a pioneer in minimal residual disease (MRD) detection.

– Under the terms of the agreement, Veracyte will pay $70 million in Veracyte shares at closing, and up to an additional $25 million based on the achievement of future performance milestones over the next two years, payable in Veracyte shares or cash at Veracyte’s election.

– This strategic move positions Veracyte to significantly expand its offerings across the cancer care continuum, offering a more comprehensive and personalized approach to cancer management.

Taking MRD Detection to the Next Level

Early detection of MRD recurrence can lead to early intervention and improved survival rates for patients. C2i’s technology analyzes entire genomes, generating broader and more accurate MRD signatures compared to traditional methods. This allows for earlier detection of tumor recurrence, leading to potentially better patient outcomes. C2i’s tests require only a small blood sample and deliver results in as little as two weeks, significantly faster than many existing methods. This translates to quicker treatment adjustments and improved patient anxiety management.

Unlocking the Potential of Early Detection

Veracyte plans to leverage C2i’s technology to develop MRD tests for other high-impact cancer indications, further solidifying its position as a leader in precision oncology. This acquisition builds on Veracyte’s existing portfolio of diagnostic and prognostic tests, allowing it to offer a more comprehensive suite of tools for managing cancer throughout the patient journey. By providing accurate and timely information about MRD status, Veracyte empowers clinicians to tailor treatment plans, optimize patient outcomes, and minimize unnecessary interventions. Further integration of C2i Genomics’ technology is planned across multiple cancer indications, paving the way for a future where personalized cancer care becomes the standard, not the exception.

“MRD detection is a critical piece of the puzzle for monitoring treatment success and guiding future decisions,” says Marc Stapley, Veracyte CEO. “C2i Genomics’ technology holds immense potential to revolutionize patient care by enabling earlier detection of recurrence than ever before.”

What You Should Know:

• Caris Life Sciences®(Caris), the leading next-generation AI TechBio company and precision medicine pioneer that is actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionise healthcare and improve the human condition using molecular science and AI, and Flatiron Health, a leading health-tech company transforming evidence generation through an engaged care network, oncology-specific expertise, and fit-for-purpose scientific methods and tools, today announced a partnership to create a multimodal data offering to support and accelerate biopharmaceutical drug development and patient care.
• As the pioneer in precision medicine and molecular profiling, Caris has created a molecular-rich, real-world database that contains more than 50 petabytes of oncology-specific genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic and imaging data. Caris was the first in the molecular diagnostic industry to provide Whole Exome Sequencing DNA coverage and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing RNA coverage (WES / WTS) for every patient tested. 

Accelerating Advancements for Cancer Drug Discovery

Combining the breadth and depth of Caris’ genomic, transcriptomic and imaging database with Flatiron’s industry-leading longitudinal patient data and high-quality clinical outcomes, backed by deep scientific expertise, equips cancer researchers with robust comprehensive real-world data (RWD) offering at scale to power the next wave of cancer therapeutics.

“We are excited to collaborate with Flatiron Health to create a multimodal data offering in support of biopharma’s efforts to bring novel personalized therapeutic interventions to market to ultimately improve the lives of cancer patients,” said David Spetzler, MS, PhD, MBA, President of Caris Life Sciences. “In forming this data union, we are able to maximize biological and clinical context to better understand each patient journey.” 

What You Should Know:

• Atropos Health, the pioneer in translating real-world clinical data into personalized real-world evidence and insights, today announced a partnership with Every Cure, a nonprofit initiative on a mission to unlock the full potential of existing medicines to treat every disease and every patient they possibly can so that patients don’t suffer while cures hide on the pharmacy shelf.
• The collaboration allows Every Cure to leverage GENEVA OS™ and data from the Atropos Evidence™ Network to confirm and enhance findings from their AI driven data platform in the real world. By doing this, it offers key real world signals and generation of AI model features to emulate the effect of therapies in real world populations. This rapid, high quality evidence generation dramatically accelerates the potential of yielding new uses for existing drugs and can accelerate clinical development by providing a real-world signal of patient response. 

Unlocking the Full Potential of Modern Medicine

Since its inception in 2023, the collaboration has pioneered a Real-World Data-driven approach named “Biology-in-Data Out” and “Data-in-Biology Out.” This method, employed by Every Cure, involves utilizing their AI platform to identify potential drug repurposing signals, which are then validated in real-world patients through the GENEVA OS and the Atropos Evidence Network. Recently featured in a Cell Publication by Dr. Dylan Dodd at Stanford University, this approach utilizes Atropos Health to confirm the impact of the antibiotic Bactrim on gout symptoms by analyzing shifts in gut bacteria populations.

Coinciding with the launch of Geneva OS™ and ChatRWD™, Atropos Health, a leader in life sciences, has also formed a Life Sciences Advisory Board featuring executives from prominent pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna and Novartis. Every Cure and other partners gain access to Atropos’ evidence generation tools through a federated installation of Geneva OS in their internal cloud data environment. This includes the Green Button Informatics Consult and access to Alexandria™, housing thousands of existing studies for rerunning on local data. Furthermore, Geneva OS incorporates the CRAFT Emulation Toolkit™, allowing users to enhance trial recruitment and analyze trial designs in real-world data, facilitating diverse subgroup analysis for optimizing study designs. CRAFT Emulation Toolkit accelerates evidence generation, maintaining Atropos Health’s commitment to swift insights.

What You Should Know:

– Amgen, a global leader in biotechnology, is embarking on a groundbreaking venture: Project Freyja.

– The new initiative will harness the power of an NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD, christened after the Norse goddess of prediction, to accelerate drug discovery and development through AI-powered insights from one of the world’s largest human datasets.

Advance Drug Discovery Using NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD-Powered Insight

• Human Diversity Atlas: Freyja will map the landscape of human genetic variation, creating an invaluable atlas for identifying drug targets and disease-specific biomarkers. This will pave the way for personalized medicine, tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic makeup.
• Precision Medicine Revolution: Equipped with Freyja’s AI capabilities, Amgen researchers will develop cutting-edge precision medicine models, potentially enabling the creation of individualized therapies for a multitude of serious diseases.
• Diagnostics Made Easy: By identifying novel biomarkers, Freyja will empower the development of accurate and efficient diagnostics for monitoring disease progression and response to treatment.

Unleashing the Power of Data

• DGX SuperPOD: A powerhouse of computing, the SuperPOD boasts 248 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs, allowing Amgen to train state-of-the-art AI models in days, not months. This dramatically accelerates the pace of data analysis and discovery.
• 200 Petabytes of Insights: Freyja will draw upon deCODE genetics’ vast library of deidentified human data, exceeding 200 petabytes, encompassing nearly 3 million individuals. This unparalleled resource provides a unique window into human diversity and its role in health and disease.

“Freyja embodies our commitment to leveraging the convergence of technology and biotechnology. By combining our world-class human data with NVIDIA’s cutting-edge AI technology, we are poised to unlock a new era of drug discovery,” said David M. Reese, Amgen’s Chief Technology Officer.

What You Should Know:

– In a decisive move towards faster and more efficient drug development, QuantHealth, a leading AI-powered clinical trial design company, has secured a strategic investment of $17M.

– The new capital, fueled by Accenture Ventures alongside a prominent CRO and additional investors, bolsters QuantHealth’s total Series A funding and propels its mission to revolutionize clinical trials through AI simulations.

Saving Millions with 86% Predictive Accuracy

QuantHealth’s proprietary AI technology boasts an impressive 86% accuracy rate in predicting clinical trial outcomes on the binary endpoint metric. This remarkable feat is powered by a massive dataset of 350 million patients, vast biomedical knowledge graphs, and comprehensive clinical trial data. This potent combination allows QuantHealth’s platform to simulate thousands of protocol variations, uncovering the optimal design for success.

Reducing Risk, Expediting Development

The pharmaceutical industry faces a daunting reality: clinical trials are expensive and fraught with uncertainty. With a staggering cost exceeding $1 billion for a single new drug, failure rates hover around 90%, draining $50 billion annually. QuantHealth’s platform tackles this challenge head-on by enabling R&D teams to:

– Lower risks: By simulating trials at scale, QuantHealth identifies potential pitfalls before they arise, minimizing costly failures.

– Expedite development: Identifying the optimal trial design upfront streamlines the entire process, bringing life-saving treatments to patients faster.

– Optimize drug development: QuantHealth’s platform ensures the right drug reaches the right population through precise matching, maximizing success rates.

Orr Inbar, co-founder and CEO of QuantHealth, sees the Accenture Ventures partnership as a catalyst for global expansion: “Accenture’s expertise in data and AI will be invaluable as we scale our platform and reach pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide.” This global reach will ultimately translate to faster development of effective treatments for patients in need.

What You Should Know:

– Deloitte, a global leader in professional services, has unveiled Atlas AI, a groundbreaking addition to its Quartz AI™ suite, marking a significant leap forward in life sciences and healthcare (LSHC).

– Built on the NVIDIA AI and NVIDIA Omniverse™ platforms, Atlas AI empowers scientists with novel tools to expedite drug discovery and bring life-saving treatments to market faster.

Harnessing the Power of Generative AI

Atlas AI boasts a unique arsenal of AI technologies:

– Generative AI models: Made accessible through BioNeMo, these models facilitate the generation of new drug candidates with enhanced properties.

– Knowledge representation and reasoning: This technology unlocks deeper data insights by connecting and interpreting scientific knowledge.

– Custom protein and chemoinformatics LLMs: These specialized language models analyze protein structures and predict drug-target interactions, paving the way for more precise drug design.

Beyond Drug Discovery

Atlas AI is just the beginning for Deloitte’s LSHC ambitions. Future iterations will incorporate additional applications like:

– Precision Medicine: Tailoring treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic and molecular profiles.

– Voice of the Patient Insight: Capturing and analyzing patient feedback to improve treatment plans and healthcare outcomes.

Dan Ferrante, Deloitte’s AI leader for innovation and R&D, highlights the transformational potential of Atlas AI: “It represents the true power of Generative AI and LLMs, enabling deeper data insights and seamless human-machine collaboration for real-world impact. Through its no-code interface, Atlas AI puts powerful tools directly in the hands of scientists, saving valuable research time.”

What You Should Know:

– Goldman Sachs Asset Management has announced the closing of its first-ever life sciences fund, West Street Life Sciences I, surpassing its target with $650 million in commitments.

– This marks a significant investment in the burgeoning life sciences sector, showcasing Goldman Sachs’ confidence in the field’s potential to revolutionize healthcare.

West Street Life Sciences Investment Thesis

The fund will focus on growth-oriented private equity investments in early to mid-stage life sciences companies. Therapeutically, it targets those with multi-asset portfolios, while also looking at tools and diagnostics firms. The aim is to not just invest in, but actively build the next generation of leaders in the field.

Goldman Sachs identified key themes driving growth in the sector: precision medicine, gene editing, cell therapy, immunotherapy, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. These advancements offer exciting possibilities for diagnosing and treating diseases, making the timing of the fund launch particularly opportune.

Experienced Hands at the Helm

Leading the charge is Amit Sinha, head of Life Sciences Investing at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, backed by a team with extensive experience in the sector and a dedicated advisory board of experts. This combination of expertise and resources positions the fund to identify promising opportunities and guide portfolio companies towards success.

“We are in a golden-era of innovation in the life sciences,” says Sinha, “where technological breakthroughs are creating new approaches to diagnosing and treating disease. We believe the current environment provides an attractive opportunity for investing in the next generation of leading life sciences companies.”

Early Momentum

West Street Life Sciences I has already invested in five companies across precision medicine, immunotherapy, and AI, demonstrating its commitment to fostering innovation across various areas. These investments highlight the fund’s potential to shape the future of healthcare.

What You Should Know:

– Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced today the launch of LillyDirect™, a comprehensive digital healthcare platform designed to empower patients living with obesity, migraine, and diabetes in the U.S. This innovative initiative aims to simplify chronic disease management by offering convenient resources, personalized support, and direct home delivery of select Lilly medications.

Key Features of LillyDirect

LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions: This digital pharmacy platform simplifies access to select Lilly medications through third-party online fulfillment services. Patients can enjoy the convenience of home delivery and automatic application of Lilly’s affordability solutions and savings cards, if applicable.

Educational Resources: LillyDirect provides valuable information and support tailored to each disease state, empowering patients to make informed decisions and manage their health effectively.

Telehealth Access: Patients can connect with independent telehealth providers, complementing their existing care team or offering an alternative for specific needs.

Healthcare Provider Search Tool: For those seeking in-person care, LillyDirect offers an independent search tool to locate healthcare professionals near them.

“Digital solutions have become increasingly important in our daily lives, and healthcare is no exception,” remarked Frank Cunningham, group vice president, global value and access at Lilly. “LillyDirect is designed to provide patients with a seamless and convenient experience for managing their health and accessing their medications, allowing them to focus on living their lives.”

What You Should Know:

– Mission Bio, a pioneer in single-cell multiomic solutions for precision medicine, announced today the appointment of Brian Kim as its new Chief Executive Officer.

– Kim brings over two decades of life sciences expertise and a proven track record of driving growth and innovation to the company, poised to propel Mission Bio’s technology into clinical applications.

Brian Kim Bio/Background

Kim’s career boasts a series of successes in the life sciences sphere, showcasing his ability to navigate complex markets and build high-growth companies:

• Fortis Life Sciences: Founded and led the company to become a leading provider of proprietary reagents for clinical customers.
• LGC Biosearch Technologies: Spearheaded the division’s expansion into diagnostics and therapeutics, culminating in a successful sale in 2020.
• PerkinElmer’s Life Science and Tools: Revitalized product innovation, revamped the commercial organization, and reignited business growth.

Stuart Essig, PhD, Chairman of the Board at Mission Bio, highlights Kim’s impeccable alignment with the company’s vision: “Brian’s experience in life sciences tools commercialization and clinical end markets perfectly aligns with our mission to advance single-cell multiomics into translational research and clinical applications. He joins us at a pivotal moment when our Tapestri platform is demonstrating tangible progress in improving patient health outcomes.”

A New Chapter for Single-Cell Multiomics:

With Brian Kim at the helm, Mission Bio is poised to capitalize on the growing potential of single-cell multiomics. His leadership and expertise will be instrumental in translating this innovative technology from the lab to the clinic, paving the way for a future of personalized medicine that benefits patients worldwide.