Category: In the News

Harnessing Absolute ctDNA Measurements for Early Detection of Cancer Progression Recent studies indicate that measuring the absolute concentration of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in patients with metastatic cancer can serve as a crucial predictive biomarker for imminent disease progression, paving the way for more timely clinical interventions. A breakthrough in metastatic cancer management has emerged…

The Lung Cancer Master Protocol (Lung-MAP) is an innovative clinical trial designed to efficiently address the unmet needs of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following front-line therapy. This pioneering effort was the first biomarker-driven umbrella master protocol initiated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the NCI’s National Clinical Trials Network led by SWOG…

On Feb. 19, crowds of former and current staffers at the Department of Health and Human Services protested outside the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. As ABC News’s Hannah Demissie and Selina Wang reported on Wednesday, “Bracing the frigid temperatures, crowds of former and current federal workers protested the deep cuts to the Department of…

The nation’s health agencies were upended over the weekend by a confusing, slow-motion rollout of terminations that left staff worried about the future of various projects, including those to improve maternal health, discover new cancer treatments and provide help for 9/11 responders. Several thousand probationary employees across the Department of Health and Human Services were…

The Department of Government Efficiency has reportedly eliminated the jobs of those overseeing Elon Musk’s brain implant company Neuralink within the Food and Drug Administration, as part of President Donald Trump’s mass culling of government jobs. The firings over the weekend included about 20 employees who were part of the FDA’s office of neurological and…

 A broad coalition of patient organizations today issued the following statement in response to cuts in staff, and research funding at federal agencies vital for American health. “Nearly every American family is affected by one or more of the diseases represented by our groups, and the stakes could not be higher. The United States is…

Unions representing federal government workers vowed legal action over major cuts to probationary staff across the government Friday (Feb. 13), including at HHS subagencies, though it’s still unclear precisely how many staff are affected at each subagency. The layoffs are expected to impact about 5,200 probationary employees across HHS, a source told Inside Health Policy, but…

At a recent meeting hosted by the Friends of Cancer Research, experts from industry talked through next steps for development of companion diagnostics for rare diseases, including in oncology. The ideas come as FDA’s diagnostics regulatory reforms face an uncertain future with the new administration and agency staffing changes. Introduction: FDA’s diagnostics regulatory reform and…

BostonGene Drives Innovation in Rare Cancers Through Cutting-Edge AI-powered Diagnostics and Collaborative Research BostonGene, a leading provider of AI-driven molecular and immune profiling solutions, is proud to announce its contributions to a white paper with Friends of Cancer Research entitled “Innovative Validation and Regulatory Processes for Companion Diagnostic Tests for Rare Biomarkers or Indications.” The…

Key takeaways: FDA issued guidance on decentralized elements of clinical trials last fall. Investigators need to balance using decentralized elements and limiting data variability. The COVID-19 pandemic forced investigators conducting clinical trials to use decentralized elements, such as telehealth, to continue their research. The FDA provided recommendations to investigators during the pandemic about how to…