Promise and precaution
Last week, consumer genetics player 23andMe announced that it would close its therapeutic arm, laying off 40% of its workforce. Operationalizing its genetics database for pharma R&D proved to be a challenging business model, a reminder of slowing momentum around consumer genetics (amidst concerns around personal genomic data security and potential payer discrimination). But disequilibrium in consumer genetic testing isn't slowing down precision medicine, a field where the "right patient, right treatment, right time" approach continues to hold transformative potential for patient outcomes and healthcare costs. Last week, population genomics and precision health player Helix announced its latest precision effectiveness model, which can predict weight loss treatment responses and guide dosages. Precision medicine leader Tempus AI recently spent $600M to expand its testing capabilities for inherited cancer risk and integrated its genetic testing results into Flatiron’s EMR platform for cancer drug selection. With precision medicine changing the ways we think about early intervention and treatment selection, the impact can be impressive—but technological capabilities and business models need to find the right fit.
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Headlines
Trump Taps RFK Jr. To Run HHS
Senate to determine fate of the appointment in January 2025 STAT
WHO Releases Handbook For Digital Transformation In Primary Care
Guidance on integration, interoperability, and person-centered point of service systems MobiHealth News
Primary Care Player Forward Shutters After Raising $400M, Rolling Out Carepods
Self-serve AI-enabled kiosks will no longer be deployed in malls, gyms, and offices Fierce Healthcare
Hims&Hers Stock Tanks As Amazon Debuts Hair-Loss And Erectile-Dysfunction Drugs
Prime members can get monthly prescriptions for common conditions at low, fixed prices Fast Company
Sanofi, Formation, And OpenAI Design AI Tool To Slash Clinical Trial Timelines
Partnership emerges amidst questions about role of genAI in healthcare Fierce Biotech
Birth Control And Abortion Pill Requests Have Surged Since Election
Telehealth services see spike in requests for emergency contraception and abortion pills AP News
Recent Funding
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