Back

Featured Topics

Behind The Science
Breast Cancer
Cancer Immunotherapy
Hematology
Lung Cancer
Manufacturing
Multiple Sclerosis
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Partnering
Respiratory Health
Rheumatology
About Us Contact Us Leadership Awards & Recognition Investors Suppliers Compliance
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

Are Biomarkers the Future of RA Treatment?


Read More Stories
Nov 14, 2014

Michael Townsend, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Biomarker Discovery OMNI


People with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are treated in much the same way – their doctor prescribes a medication, and if that doesn’t work, they’re switched to another one until they find one that does. That’s not an ideal way to treat disease as the burden of uncertainty can add additional strain to a patient. As Dr. Kramer points out in his article on heterogeneity, RA is a disease that can have multiple causes and manifest in different ways, so we need diverse approaches.

One Patient’s Joints Are Not Like Another’s

We’re working to better understand exactly what is happening in each RA patient’s joints at the cellular level to help define the different types of RA. That research is supporting our efforts to identify biomarkers, which can help determine whether patients will respond well to one drug versus another. Specifically, we’re looking at what’s happening in the linings of the joints themselves. This yields a surprising amount of information about each patient’s RA, such as the state of their disease as well as their clinical manifestations.

The identification of different types of RA based on patients’ joint pathophysiology—the way a disease affects a body’s functions—in turn allows us to study what happens when we try different therapies in these patients. For instance, patients with one type of RA may respond well to an anti-TNF drug, while those with a different type of RA may not. Our knowledge of the different types of RA based on joint pathophysiology could help us to identify biomarkers for individual RA patients.

The Power of Uncertainty

Though our work is based in hard science, sometimes we have to take a leap of faith based on our accumulated knowledge. There are currently no biomarkers for RA, but we’re going to keep looking because we believe they have the potential to change the future of treatment.

Genentech is leading the field in looking at fundamental disease mechanisms and the biomarkers associated with various disease types. We are leveraging the work we’re doing in biomarkers across our entire portfolio to see how it applies to many diseases. For instance, we’ve stratified clinical trials in asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus based on which patients respond to specific medications. Uncovering RA biomarkers would allow us to have diagnostic tools available alongside our medicines. This could, in turn, help us determine which patients will get the most clinical benefit from which drug. We’re also currently involved in a collaborative effort with other pharmaceutical companies to find biomarkers that identify which RA patients are likely to have no response to anti-TNF drugs.

Identification of a biomarker in RA is crucial, as there are currently no “personalized” RA treatments as there are in cancer. This work is much more complicated in RA than in cancer because there’s no precedent for biomarkers in inflammatory diseases. But we’re up to the challenge; we know that sometimes the days where you don’t have the answers are the kinds of days where those unexpected breakthroughs come to light.


Tags:

  • Rheumatology

Read More Stories

Read about breakthrough science, the everyday people who make it happen, and the patients we serve.

  • Now Hiring
  • Find A Job
  • Professional Areas
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Chief Diversity Officer
  • Fostering Belonging
  • Health Equity
  • Advancing Inclusive Research
  • Transforming Society
  • Our 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Report
  • Our Work in Action
  • Kindergarten to Careers
  • For Scientists
  • Our Scientists
  • Publications
  • Oncology
  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience
  • Metabolism
  • Infectious Disease
  • Ophthalmology
  • For Patients
  • Our Medicines
  • Financial Support
  • Genentech Patient Foundation
  • Understanding Insurance
  • Medicine Information Support
  • Clinical Trial Information
  • Advancing Inclusive Research
  • Our Approach to Pricing
  • Patient Advocacy
  • Create With Us
  • Disease Education
  • For Medical Professionals
  • Our Medicines & Products
  • Our Pipeline
  • Medical Resources
  • Clinical Trial Information
  • Sunshine Act Compliance
  • Product Security
  • For Partners
  • Our Approach
  • What We Are Looking For
  • Partner With Us
  • Our Stories
  • For Media
  • News Features
  • Press Releases
  • Statements
  • Company Information
  • Sign Up For News Alerts
  • For Good
  • Giving
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Sustainability
  • About Us
  • Leadership
  • Policy & Advocacy
  • Our Focus on Oncology
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Investors
  • Suppliers
  • Our Approach to Pricing
  • CA Transparency in Supply
  • Compliance Overview
  • Contact Us
  • Call Us
  • Email Us
  • Visit us
  • Submit a Medical Inquiry
  • Submit a Media Inquiry
  • —
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Genentech, Inc. All rights reserved. This site is intended for US residents only.