Clinical research blog
Explore our blog for insights into the big questions in precision medicine and clinical research.
In recent years, it's been discovered that genetics can play a big role in developing a condition and even affect how a patient might respond to treatment. Because our genes can have such an impact on our health, genetic screening has become an important part of many clinical trials. With precision medicine research coming to the fore, how can researchers and their teams plan ahead to incorporate genetics into their enrolment planning?
Last month, our team had the pleasure of attending the European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS) meeting, an annual gathering that brings together some of the brightest minds in the field of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research and treatment. Each year, the ENCALS meeting reaffirms the commitment of the scientific community to ending ALS and brings renewed hope to patients and their families. While our team enjoyed networking with attendees and catching up on the latest research in ALS, this year they were also focused on Sano’s poster presentation for an initiative we are calling Light the Way.
£330K grant awarded to support and engage patients at risk of MND/ALS, and track the psychological impact of genetic testing.
This webinar, featuring Sano Genetics team members Ross Rounsevell and George Bowley, highlights the importance of purposeful participant engagement in research studies. The discussion centres around meaningful research participant engagement, its significance in research, strategies for effective engagement, and the future developments enabling better study design.
Our latest insights report focuses on Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD), a rare genetic disorder with significant implications for lung and liver health. AATD arises from a deficiency of the alpha-1 antitrypsin protein, which safeguards the lungs from damage. However, with this protein in short supply, the lungs become susceptible to inflammation, potentially leading to conditions like emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This webinar, hosted by Paul Wicks and featuring a panel of experts in ALS and genetics, focuses on the challenges and variability in genetic testing and counselling for ALS. The experts highlight that while genetic testing is a critical component of ALS research and treatment, key challenges include making the test available to everyone who needs it and ensuring consistency among tests.
The process of clinical trial design and protocol development is a multifaceted and often complex task, demanding an intricate understanding of various elements – from disease pathology and drug characteristics to patient demographics. Add the challenge of integrating genetic research and prioritising patient engagement, and it becomes a sophisticated puzzle. However, such complexity is the engine that drives the evolution of precision medicine. Today, we explore twelve companies shaping the landscape of precision medicine by applying unique approaches to overcome design and protocol development challenges.
In this webinar, Dr. Sarah Opie-Martin and Dr. Paul Wicks discuss the latest research on SOD1 gene variants and their association with ALS. The webinar explores the implications of these findings for the diagnosis and treatment of ALS, and discusses potential avenues for future research.
Clinical trials play a crucial role in the development of pharmaceutical and biotech products. However, unforeseen challenges can arise during the trial process, potentially jeopardising the integrity and outcomes of the study. As a recent Applied Clinical Trial article noted, “while drug discovery is mostly about science, drug development is rich with, and risked by, human drama.”
Data security and privacy are critical considerations in the biotech industry, especially for companies working in genetics.