Biomarkers Are the Key for Realizing I-O’s True Potential

First Opinion: Biomarkers Are the Key for Realizing I-O’s True Potential

Although immuno-oncology has transformed how we treat many cancers today, there are still huge roadblocks the biopharma industry must overcome before I-O therapies can reach their full potential. One huge hurdle is that not all patients respond to certain treatments, and it is very difficult and time-consuming to determine which patients will benefit the most from these I-O agents.  

Grey Wilkinson, translational medicine scientist at Oncolytics, calls for the need for more reliable biomarkers that can accurately identify which I-O therapies are best for a patient, enabling them to receive potentially life-changing medicines much quicker than through a process of trial and error.

Dr. Wilkinson explains, “Biomarkers are a way to objectively measure the underlying biology of an individual’s cancer, as well as his or her response to treatment. As we learn more about the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to cancer, the oncology community has come to understand that each person’s disease is unique. Biomarkers make it possible to quickly define an individual’s cancer and personalize treatment for it based on the presence or absence of certain mutations, molecules, or cells.”

Read the full article in STAT News here.