Flatiron Health was purchased by Roche, the Swiss drug giant, for $1.9 billion in February. At the time, the New York startup said that it would still be open for business with other drug companies. It wasn’t kidding.
The real pressure caused by the presumed overabundance of cancer research falls on investors and decision makers who guide R&D portfolios.
Another study combined Opdivo and Yervoy, two drugs made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, in lung cancer patients selected with a new type of diagnostic test. An third result hints that giving Opdivo earlier – before surgery to remove tumors – may lead to even more benefits for patients.
Drug giant Bristol-Myers Squibb is partnering with Illumina, the leading maker of DNA sequencing gear, to develop diagnostic tests that will pair with Bristol’s cancer drugs.
What if Keytruda and Opdivo, the new lung cancer drugs, are as good as it gets? How long will it be before anyone invents medicines that are any better than what we now have?