E-Briefings

New research from Aarhus University, recently published in Translational Psychiatry, analyzed the frequency of genetic variations that affect drug metabolism and drug targets in over 77,000 patients. What the study found.

“With these new reference data, genetic differences can be studied with unprecedented accuracy against the background of global genetic variation, which facilitates the biomedical evaluation of genetic variants carried by an individual,” said co-first author, Peter Ebert, PhD, a bioinformatics software engineer at the Institute for Medical Biometry and Bioinformatics at Heinrich Heine University.

The new collaboration between Epic and Foundation Medicine integrates Foundation’s comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and other testing services with Epic’s electronic medical record (EMR) system. Genomic information will power clinical decision support.

Because of the increased number of risk adjustment programs, improved diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) could trigger substantial financial benefit. This research maps a path for physicians and health systems to better utilize existing medications for their patients with CKD.

Statement comes at a time of recent draft legislation and “bipartisan support” for the creation of a new advanced research agency to cure cancer and currents of a “highly anticipated” 21st Century Cures 2.0 bill.

The nuclear medicine hub in Indiana will generate research, discovery, and evidence of the safety and efficacy of radiopharmaceuticals at a time when the FDA recently has approved two molecular imaging drugs for prostate cancer.

Researchers intend to use a “genome-first” approach that starts by analyzing the genetic information from the health system’s genomic collection studies. Three key takeaways are noted about this partnership.

Two distinct entities will be created. The capabilities of the new US-Isaeli international partnership model are predicted to be a boon for oncologists and cancer therapeutics developers. It aims to untangle “medical mysteries in patients …”

The precision medicine finding that congenital blindness can be treated with gene therapy “bodes well, efficacy-wise, for future cohorts in the treatment of this severe childhood-onset photoreceptor disease,” according to the authors’ conclusion. It also offers hope to others with congenital diseases.

Although Genomic Testing Cooperative’s agreement with New Jersey-based Hackensack Meridian Health is in its early stages, what is learned from the unique co-op model agreement will be useful for hospital and health system leaders who are evaluating precision medicine approaches.