The Role Of Genomics In Clinical Trials

Genomics has come a long way from the days of being primarily a discovery tool. It used to be that essentially all the genomic data that was being produced as part of clinical trials was purely exploratory in nature. This is still being done, but now we're also translating those insights into real uses.

Dr. Hurban discusses the use of broad genomic features such as microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden as biomarkers in addition to specific point mutations that have been in use for some time. He envisions a future where a multidisciplinary approach leads to a companion therapeutic strategy as opposed to a companion diagnostic strategy. In this approach, a single test could direct a patient into any of a number of therapies rather than testing the possibility of one therapy at a time.