Companion Diagnostics (CDx) partners engage in a special kind of choreography to make sure that both products: the therapy and the diagnostic, are synchronized and ready for introduction into the marketplace. Breakthroughs in companion diagnostics alter the status quo, and change the way testing is performed and the way care is delivered. Education cannot be an afterthought as CDx partners race towards launch. Training for sales professionals, lab staff, and clinicians has to be coordinated along those same timelines.
A successful CDx launch has three key elements…
- FDA-drug approval for the targeted therapy
- A validated diagnostic (an assay, a molecular study, gene sequencing)
And what’s often overlooked…
- Effective training for sales reps, laboratory personnel, and physicians.
Successful development of a companion diagnostic doesn’t guarantee its adoption, and it can’t be assumed. Innovative technologies impact lab practices and overall workflow. The roles of the pathologist and oncologist are redefined. Ultimately, it reshapes how patient care is delivered, and that can’t happen when folks are unsure of what they’re doing.
