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Clinical research blog

Explore our blog for insights into the big questions in precision medicine and clinical research.

Autoimmune cell therapy pauses expose stratification gaps

Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb have paused multiple trials of their autoimmune cell therapies following inflammatory side effects. Novartis placed holds on i...
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FDA draft guidance expands single-trial effectiveness pathway

In June 2026, the FDA released a revised draft guidance, Demonstrating Substantial Evidence of Effectiveness for Human Drug and Biological Products, that clarif...
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Genomic newborn screening: The operational challenge ahead

A Nature News Feature published on 19 August 2026 synthesized the global wave of genomic newborn screening programs and opened with a concrete result. In the GU...
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Long-term follow-up in clinical trials is a compounding asset for rare disease programs

Rare disease trials demand years of investment to identify, genetically screen, enroll, and engage patients. When the study closes, that effort disperses. Commu...
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OptiPrime speeds prime editing but patient identification lags

On August 12, 2026, the David Liu lab at the Broad Institute published OptiPrime, a machine-learning model that predicts how well prime-editing guide RNAs (pegR...
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Precision medicine's execution deficit is an accountability problem

A genetically-defined trial can be designed correctly and still stall. The protocol names the right molecular subtype, the endpoints are sound, and the therapeu...
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Why precision medicine trials fail on the way from protocol to patient

Precision medicine clinical trials are designed by some of the most capable scientists in drug development. The biomarker hypotheses are well-reasoned, the endp...
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Decentralized trials expand access and diversity at Mayo Clinic

On July 20, 2026, Mayo Clinic reported peer-reviewed evidence that decentralization changes who takes part in clinical research. In a study published in JAMA Ne...
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Why polygenic risk scores miss diverse populations

On 20 July 2026, The New York Times reported that the genetic risk tools entering clinical use do not perform equally well across populations. Polygenic risk sc...
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Operation Trailblazer and the clinical trial access gap

On June 23, 2026, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched Operation Trailblazer, a cross-agency initiative coordinated across the FDA, NCI, NCAT...
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