Biopharma rivals at Roche and Bayer both stand to benefit from the trend toward increased testing of cancer patients
Loxo Oncology has been one of the pioneers in the move to develop new, tissue-agnostic cancer drugs. But the biggest challenge it faces won’t be in the clinic. Instead analysts will be trying to determine the extent to which fairly expensive diagnostic testing will be used to spotlight their tiny patient population.
Bloomberg took a look at the issue in an in-depth report today, comparing the work that Loxo’s partner Bayer will have in popularizing these tests, which can cost thousands of dollars each, screening broad groups to find the one in 100 that need their drug. Roche, meanwhile, which has been a huge advocate of matching diagnostics to drugs, just spent $2.4 billion to acquire the last chunk of stock in the cancer diagnostics player Foundation Medicine it didn’t already own.
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