As biopharma’s embrace of real-world evidence (RWE) gathers speed, In Vivo looks at one company that is using a mix of prestigious academic, government and non-profit partners to build a credible foundation for acceptance of this research tool in the wider commercial space. 

Speed and efficiency are fundamental to the success of today’s biopharmaceutical enterprise, but the hunt is still on for transformative technologies to boost pipeline productivity and growth. One answer may lie in the arrival of replicable, synthetic versions of DNA.

Gene therapy’s promise depends on the ecosystem now being built to deliver real product to patients – safely and at quantities that match the soaring expectations fed by the curative potential of the science. To assess the state of play, In Vivo talks to the man who leads the team responsible for bringing forward the first US-approved gene therapy to treat an incurable, inherited genetic condition: John Furey, chief operating officer of Spark Therapeutics. 

Cancer's chief professional practice organization, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), is working to transform the post-treatment pathway for survivors of cancer. It is part of an overall movement in the cancer community emphasizing the importance of making current treatments work better for more patients. 

The 16 million survivors of cancer in the US today form a restless constituency with its own disparate set of interests – and by sheer weight of numbers is beginning to direct changes to medical practice that pose both risks and opportunity for biopharma.