Combination therapies are the cornerstone of oncology, but the development model has been slow to shift to early testing of combinations of investigational drugs. The CoNNCT initiative aims to accelerate clinical testing of novel-novel combinations, and in doing so provide benefits for biopharma, clinicians and the cancer patients they serve.

Brazil has established an accelerated pathway for approval of drugs for ultra-rare diseases, encouraging development activity – but the definition of qualifying drugs is narrow. Expansion to include more treatments could boost clinical trials activity and companies’ overall development presence.

A new publication offers up proof of concept that the genetic signatures of microorganisms found in blood and tumor tissue could improve precision medicine cancer diagnostics. The study also bolsters the notion that targeting the microbiome could lead to innovative cancer therapies.