The Importance of Specialized Research Experts in Niche Biopharma

NEW YORK, April 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The ability of a biopharmaceutical company to successfully develop experimental drug candidates is mostly dependant on the experience of their research and management teams. As such, the hiring of specialists with decades of experience can make or break future drug candidacy projects. Many big players in the biopharma space, such as Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), and ImmunoPrecise Antibodies Ltd. (OTC:IPATF) (TSX-V:IPA) have all been competing for some of the brightest minds in the industry. Stock prices of biotech firms are known to jump and crash on the slightest news. Companies invest significant resources in developing specific compounds and drugs as well as undergoing clinical tests and regulatory approvals. These businesses that don't have sufficient cumulative expertise are much less likely to succeed in the already tricky drug discovery process than those that do. As such, individuals with highly specialized biopharma backgrounds are fought over by major businesses who know full well the importance these experts play in the success of their future drug candidates. The Role Specialized Experts Play in Management While experienced management teams are essential for every business, this is especially true in certain highly specialized sectors. The amount of technical knowledge required in industries like biopharma means that professionals not frequently hired as executives (such as doctors, professors, and research experts) often play significant roles in management. Around 80 percent[1] of all CEO's in the biotech industry have direct experience working in the medical or pharmaceutical industry, often at first in non-managerial roles.

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Personalis and ClearNote Health Announce Partnership to Advance Epigenomic Technology

Personalis, Inc. | February 05, 2024

Personalis, Inc. a leader in advanced genomics for cancer, and ClearNote Health, Inc., a pioneer in epigenomic technologies, today unveiled an alliance through which Personalis will expand its pharmaceutical service offerings by distributing ClearNote’s cutting-edge epigenomic 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) platform. “We have built a unique pharma channel based on our industry-leading tissue and MRD assays and ClearNote Health’s blood-based epigenomic approach is complementary to our offering as it helps our customers deepen their understanding of a patient’s response to immunotherapies,” said Chris Hall, CEO and President of Personalis. “Commercial partnerships such as this broaden our portfolio and are expected to appeal to a wide range of biopharma customers and accelerate our revenue growth.” Echoing this sentiment, Dave Mullarkey, CEO of ClearNote Health, remarked, “Partnering with Personalis presents an excellent opportunity to bring our 5hmC technology to the forefront of cancer research. This alliance is a testament to the synergy between our two companies, enabling us to expand our reach and significantly impact the biopharmaceutical industry. Together, we can accelerate the development of personalized therapies and make a real difference in the lives of patients.” ClearNote Health’s Epigenomics Platform represents a groundbreaking advance in cancer detection, offering real-time insights into disease-specific pathways. By tracking changes in 5hmC levels coupled with artificial intelligence-based analytical methods, the platform can detect cancer earlier, monitor disease progression, understand mechanisms of resistance, and identify promising drug targets and biomarkers. These insights are invaluable for optimizing drug development programs and delivering more effective treatments to patients. The Epigenomics Platform identifies changes in gene activation and gene regulation by labeling specific changes in the 5hmC landscape from plasma-derived cell-free DNA. This rich biological information, as part of clinical trials, enables the monitoring of cancer therapies in real time and contributes to an understanding of drug resistance mechanisms. The partnership marks a pivotal moment in cancer research, leveraging the strengths of both companies to offer unparalleled solutions in the biopharmaceutical industry. About ClearNote Heath, Inc. ClearNote Health is a cancer detection company focused on enabling people at risk for high-mortality cancers to live longer, healthier lives. Utilizing a standard blood draw, the company applies its proprietary epigenomic platform, combining biology and artificial intelligence, to identify DNA-based changes in biology as cancer develops. With lead programs in non-invasive early detection of pancreatic and ovarian cancers in patients at the highest risk for these diseases, ClearNote Health identifies cancers before they progress and when patients are most likely to benefit from treatment. ClearNote Health’s first commercially available test is the Avantect™ Pancreatic Cancer Test, which detects the presence of pancreatic cancer signals in patients at high risk of the disease, including those recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. ClearNote Health is headquartered in San Diego, with additional presence in the San Francisco Bay area and internationally. The company’s CLIA- and CAP-accredited laboratory is located in San Diego, Calif. About Personalis, Inc. At Personalis, we are transforming the active management of cancer through breakthrough personalized testing. We aim to drive a new paradigm for cancer management, guiding care from biopsy through the life of the patient. Our highly sensitive assays combine tumor-and-normal profiling with proprietary algorithms to deliver advanced insights even as cancer evolves over time. Our products are designed to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) and recurrence at the earliest time points, enable the selection of targeted therapies based on ultra-comprehensive genomic profiling, and enhance biomarker strategy for drug development. Personalis is based in Fremont, California.

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