Recruiting the right patients for clinical trials has long been a challenge for drug sponsors and there remain many barriers to participation. Research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indicate that in 2020 a little fewer than nine percent of patients were asked to participate in a clinical trial, and of those invited, fewer than half participated. To help address this, the Precision Cancer Consortium (PCC), a collaboration of large pharma companies, has tapped Massive Bio and their AI analytics platform to optimize clinical trial matching.
Under the partnership, PCC’s member clinical trial protocols as well as patient inclusion and exclusion criteria will be incorporated into existing machine learning patient matching algorithms in Massive Bio’s Deep Learning Clinical Trial Matching System (DLCTMS). PCC was established in April 2022 aimed at increasing patient access to comprehensive genomic profiling of patients globally to broaden precision cancer care. PCC members include AstraZeneca, Bayer, Eli Lilly & Company, GSK, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, Novartis, and Roche.
“This collaboration has the potential to address a major challenge in precision oncology and improve patient outcomes,” said Yinghui Zhou PhD, PCC project lead and senior director, Bayer Translational Sciences Oncology. “By working together and utilizing a collection of genomics data from multiple sources centralized with the assistance of AI, we can create a valuable scientific resource and optimize the efficiency of clinical trial matching globally and scale.”
Working with Massive Bio, PCC will build upon its mission of broadening access to data-driven cancer care. Through this partnership, Massive Bio will design and pilot a trial matching tool for prospectively matching patients through genomic testing and clinical data to a set of selected ongoing biomarker-driven clinical trials within previously defined locations (i.e. site, Health Care Organization, country). The companies will also explore considerations for larger scale or real-world application for further development.
“Our technology utilizes genomics and clinical data from various platforms to present available intervention options for each patient in order to optimize clinical trial matching by reducing inefficiencies and multiple screenings,” noted Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, MD, co-founder and chief medical officer of Massive Bio. “Together, we can help more patients access the right treatment options and improve outcomes.”
For PCC, the clinical trial matching deal with Massive Bio fits within the mission of its work while leveraging the resources of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies in order to promote the capabilities of molecular testing in precision oncology.
“Challenges that are ecosystem related cannot be solved by one stakeholder of the healthcare system alone,” PCC notes on its website. “The PCC facilitates collaboration of pharma/biotech companies to address challenges regarding access, awareness, and research and development of comprehensive genomic testing for cancer patients globally.”
PCC’s strategic objective include:
- Increasing patient access to comprehensive genomic testing in routine clinical care and research and development;
- Increasing awareness of comprehensive genomic testing benefits through stakeholder education and patient focused collaborations; and
- Tackling precision oncology challenges and solutions in healthcare systems by increasing patient access to genomic testing.
