To the average American,…precision medicine sets a high expectation of a more targeted…[and] more effective…treatment.
But all too often the science underpinning these targeted therapies has not been up to snuff and the result has been greater uncertainty about optimal treatment — just the opposite of what precision medicine intends to do.
[T]hree key barriers are impeding the drive toward truly transformational precision medicine: researchers often don’t rigorously test the biological theories that supposedly explain why a targeted treatment should work; they haven’t fully determined the accuracy of the diagnostic tests used to figure out if a patient is a good candidate for the therapy; and there’s little coordination between investigators, which has led to inefficient research.
…
Related on the SLP
We should demand the same high-quality testing of precision medicine as we do for any new medicine, including randomized trials that account for the presumed mechanism of action. In addition, a central, up-to-date, publicly accessible database of evidence regarding biomarkers and diagnostic tests…would help improve transparency and reduce waste and inefficiency in the quest for precision medicine.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Imprecise research threatens precision medicine
