Real Time Conference Coverage: Advancing Precision Medicine Conference, Late Morning Session Track 1 October 4 2025
Reporter: Stephen J. Williams, PhD
Leaders in Pharmaceutical Business Intellegence will be covering this conference LIVE over X.com at
using the following meeting hashtags
#AdvancingPM #precisionmedicine #WINSYMPO2025
SESSION 3
Advances in Precision Oncology:
From Genomics to Targeted Therapies
11:10-11:55
Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Targeting KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer
11:55-12:15
Charting the Future of Cancer Care: Precision Oncology and the Power of Genomics
12:15-12:35
Molecular Pathology as a Driver of Precision in Urological Cancers
12:30-12:40
Non – CME – dSTRIDE™-HR: A Functional Biomarker for In Situ, ‘real-time’ Detection and Quantification of Homologous Recombination Activity.
Magda Kordon-Kiszala, PhD, CEO and co-founder, intoDNA
12:35-12:55
Epigenetic Plasticity and Tumor Evolution: Mechanisms of Resistance in Precision Oncology
Johnathan R. Whetstine, PhD, Director, Cancer Epigenetics Institute, Director, Geonomics Resource, Fox Chase Cancer Center
- Title: Epigenetic plasticity a gatekeeper to generating extrachromosomal DNA amplification and rearrangements
- genetic events in cancer are actually controlled not random as he says
- Fox Chase Cancer Center Epigenetics Institute; 5th year goal to understand epigenetic mechanisms to understand resistance and biomarker development; bring others and break down silos; they are expanding and hiring and bringing into a network; March 5 2026 5th Annual Symposium Philadelphia Franklin Institute
- DNA amplification is also chromosomal: integrated same locus or different regions or chromosomal duplication
- KDM4A epigenetic demethylase controls transiet site specific DNA re-replication; can have focal control of DNA regions
- you can control regional control of like EGFR amplification
- can use Cy3 to find local regions
- KDM3B inhibitor promotes transiet copy gains in KMT2A/MLL
- EHMT2 is lysine demethylase is a driver of this copy amplification
- this demethylase can change expression locally in one hour.. very fast
- demethylases are very specific for their gene locus they control and so this demethylase only controls MLL gene
- doxorubicin topoisomerase inhibitor can cause LOH in MLL locus and methylase inhibitor can reverse this
- over twenty combinatorial regulators so this field is just budding
11:30-12:30
Companion Diagnostics in Hereditary and Chronic Diseases – Development, Regulatory Approval, and Commercialization – Non-CME Discussion
Huw Ricketts PhD, Senior Director, CLIA Business Development, QIAGEN
Tricia Carrigan, PhD, BC Biosolutions
Arushi Agarwal, MS, Partner, Health Advances
Melissa Reuter, MS, MBA, Director, Precision Medicine Program Strategy, GSK
- This is a session panel Discussion on the current state of companion diagnostic development, not just in oncology. Regulatory aspects will be discussed
- Arushi: There are alot of opportunities in non-oncology areas for companion diagnostics, and time to development may be an obstacle
- Huw Rickets: From a development standpoint most people are not looking at the diagnostic side but more on the therapeutic side.
- Tricia: There needs to be a shift in oncology drug development world, and pharma sees developing diagnostic is too expensive.
- Meliisa: They try to engage early with the agencies to understand the regulatory landscape; GSK is very strong in their oncology platform but there are gaps in diagnostics and non-oncology programs
- Arushi: seems in Pharma oncology and non-oncology programs seems siloed
- for non-oncology many of the biomarkers may be rare… well under 25% of population
- Huw: Qiagen trying to develop diagnostics for Parkinson’s but those rare genetic diseases are easier to develop
- Arushi: neurodegenerative, NASH, and immuno diseases are big areas where companies are looking to make companion diagnostics
- Huw: kidney disease is a big focus to develop companion diagnostics for
12:30-12:40
Non – CME – dSTRIDE™-HR: A Functional Biomarker for In Situ, ‘real-time’ Detection and Quantification of Homologous Recombination Activity.
Magda Kordon-Kiszala, PhD, CEO and co-founder, intoDNA
2012pharmaceutical
sjwilliamspa
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