What You Should Know:
– Genomics plc, a leader in polygenic risk score (PRS) technology, and pharmaceutical giant GSK inks a new collaboration to explore the potential of PRS for optimizing clinical trial design.
– The innovative approach could revolutionize the way researchers select patients and ultimately lead to faster development of new treatments.
Unlocking the Power of Genetics for Clinical Trials
Genomics plc brings its expertise in PRS technology to the table. PRS is a score that combines an individual’s genetic data to assess their risk of developing a specific disease. GSK, with its extensive experience in drug development, aims to leverage this technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trials.
Benefits of PRS-powered Clinical Trials
The collaboration will explore several applications of PRS, potentially leading to:
- Reduced Number of Trial Participants: By identifying individuals with a higher risk of developing the disease under study, PRS could help researchers recruit more targeted participants, potentially reducing the overall number needed.
- Shorter Trial Timescales: With a more focused patient pool, trials could be completed more quickly, accelerating the development of new therapies.
- Improved Trial Outcomes: Selecting participants with a higher risk of the disease may lead to clearer results and a more efficient evaluation of new drugs.
Understanding the Genetic Influence on Disease
The project builds on the established knowledge that genetic factors play a significant role in disease susceptibility, progression, and response to medications. PRS offers a way to capture these complex genetic influences into a single score, aiding in patient selection for clinical trials.
“We could not be more excited to be collaborating with GSK on this programme. PRS-based approaches have the potential to support clinical trial design. Using PRS to get the right people into studies could have a potential positive impact, including in the reduction of trial size and timescale, leading to efficiencies in drug development,” said Professor Sir Peter Donnelly FRS, FMedSci, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Genomics plc.
