genomics Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Genmab’s data-driven strategies speed up drug commercialization

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Genmab’s senior vice president, global head of data science and AI, Hisham Hamadeh, describes the company’s journey to becoming “a data-driven decision-making company.” In one sense, there is little choice but to do so. “We’re swimming in data like never before. We’ve seen the volumes of data, the ability to compute on that data, and the type of algorithms that are emerging,” he said.

The initiative has the firm support of the company’s CEO Jan G. J. van de Winkel, who expects AI to help enhance R&D efficiency in the coming years. Already, the company has succeeded in winning FDA approval for the antibody epcoritamab in lymphoma within five years after the first patient was dosed. The approval timeline was “a world record,” van de Winkel told Medwatch, adding that the company believes its investments in data science will unlock further breakthrou…

50 of the best-funded biotechs of 2023

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As the year draws to a close, it is clear that molecular science and diagnostics is the hottest funding area in the biotech industry. In an analysis of 50 of the best-funded biotechs of 2023 focused on human health, molecular and science and diagnostics startups collectively attracting roughly $945 million, dwarfing the figures in other segments. The next popular two niches, gene therapies and oncology, had average funding levels of approximately $245 million and $170 million, respectively. While AI has received a significant amount of attention this year, biotechs specializing in that field garnered an average funding of only about $66 million. Outside of the life sciences, startups with a broader focus on AI raised a cumulative average of $202.47 million, based on an analysis of close to 1000 companies.

Caris Life Sciences has raised nearly $1.7B to date

In terms of best-funded companies overall,…

Assessing the techbio landscape: hype or substance?

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The venture capital firm Artis Ventures, founded in 2001, coined the term “techbio” sector to describe biotech platforms where technology and engineering take the lead in advancing drug discovery and biomanufacturing. In circa 2019, the firm contributed to shaping the techbio landscape by setting up venture capital fund named Artis techbio that bridges the gap between software and drug development.

Although the term term “techbio” has gained prominence in recent year, the use of technologies such as AI, automation and genomics in the biotech sector has attracted considerable attention from startups and investors for much longer. This is evident when noting the founding dates of notable companies in the space: Ginkgo Bioworks’ origins trace back to 2008. Exscientia and AbCellera were established in 2012, and BenevolentAI and Recursion in 2013.

Reality c…

10x Genomics’ Chromium platform sheds light on CAR T-cell therapy persistence

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Therapy persistence is a vital factor in determining the success of CAR-Ts for blood cancers like leukemia. While CAR-Ts hold great promise for blood cancers such as leukemia, in some cases, the durability of the treatment falls short, leading to a potential relapse. A positive study from researchers at University College London, Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, published in Nature Medicine sheds light on the challenge and ways to address it.

Examining CAR T-cell therapy persistence in the CARPALL trial

Investigating patients from the phase 1 CARPALL trial, the study considered patients who underwent CAR T-cell therapy (AUTO1) to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), a rare and aggressive pediatric blood cancer. Focusing on an advanced therapy investigational medicinal product (ATIMP) designed to combat CD19+ or CD22+ acute lymphoblastic le…

Genomics 2.0: Trusted research environments to manage 500M genomes

Introduction

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The study of genetics dates to the mid-19th century, from the works of Gregor Mendel, but it wasn’t until the second half of the 20th century that the field of genetics made great strides. The completion of the Human Genome Project and other significant technological advances were the driving factors for this significant impact. In light of these advances, more than 1,800 disease genes have been discovered, and more than 2000 genetic tests have become available to the public.

Advances in technology such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) have allowed scientists to perform experiments at a rate that was never possible before. NGS is a DNA sequencing technology that allows the whole genome of an individual to be sequenced within one day, producing a large amount of clinical health data. Unfortunately, maintaining small data sets in a centralized location for analysis (Ge…

NIH providing $185M to boost research into how human genome functions

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a plan to provide approximately $185 million over five years to a consortium researching genomic variation.

Initiated and funded by NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) consortium will receive the $185 million over five years in the form of 25 awards across 30 U.S. research sites to continue working to understand how genomic variation alters human genome function and influences human health and disease, according to a news release.

NIH said that, by integrating experimental methods with advanced computer models, the IGVF consortium will identify which variants in the genome are relevant for health and disease, producing information that will be of critical importance to clinicians.

All information generated by the consortium will be made freely available to the research community through a web portal to assist with future research…