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Peter Mansell investigates why biomarkers and other molecular diagnostic tools may be the most undervalued area in oncology.
Much of the current boom in the oncology market can be attributed to the emergence of more targeted products that use biomarkers and molecular diagnostics to hone efficacy and limit side effects in better-defined patient populations. At best, this is a win-win situation for companies, physicians, patients, and healthcare systems – the right treatment for the right patient at the right dose at the right time.
It is especially important in a climate in which cost-effectiveness and predictability are increasingly the arbiters of drug choice and uptake, even in a category that historically has been spared this level of scrutiny. Another consequence of the shift towards personalized medicine in oncology is to add layers of complexity to a market in which forecasting is already muddied by issues such as multiple therapy regimens, health technology assessment, pressure for more flexible pricing and reimbursement models, wavering political status, and diminishing elbow room around key indications.
More and more, oncology forecasting will need to take biomarkers into account, which means multiplying the assumptions and scenarios that feed into assessments of individual product potential. Full article.
At eyeforpharma’s 4th Annual Pharma Forecasting Excellence Summit (October 5-6, Boston) Kantar Health will present case studies to demonstrate how targeting with biomarkers calls for a tiered approach to oncology forecasts. To find out more about the conference and to register to attend, visit: http://www.eyeforpharma.com/forecastingusa
Source: eyeforpharma