adoption has been limited…. This could lead to widespread adoption,” Brunel said.
According to the American Cancer Society, about 220,000 Americans per year are diagnosed with lung cancer, and about 85-90 percent have non-small cell lung cancer.
Biodesix will now build a national sales team and develop its marketing to try to capitalize on VeriStrat’s commercial potential, which could improve as the federal government is expected to reach a decision soon about whether it will be covered by Medicare.
Commercial success will help Biodesix develop the other tests in its pipeline, vice president, business development and strategic marketing Paul Beresford said.
Other tests in the Biodesix pipeline could detect and determine treatment for various types of cancer or autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, he said.
Brunel said Biodesix is also working to show VeriStrat can be used to guide treatment for other forms of cancer, such as breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer.
On a higher level, Brunel said he believes Biodesix and similar companies developing molecular diagnostic technology are on the brink of a breakthrough. Researchers are getting much better at identifying protein biomarkers that would give doctors greater insight into how to treat patients.
Brunel says developing better diagnostic tools is the first step toward realizing the benefits promised by personalized medicine, and he believes products like VeriStrat and the results announced today shows companies can make the technology commercially viable.
In the near future, that could lead to molecular diagnostic companies being able to raise more money for research and development and clinical trials, he said.
