AACR Annual Meeting 2021: What's the Frontier of Cancer Research?

Whether we've fought our battles or helped family or friends with their own, cancer has likely impacted all of us. Malignancies are the leading cause of death among individuals under the age of 85 and are responsible for 9.5 million deaths globally each year, including an estimated 600,000 in the United States. But there are many reasons for optimism. Our deepening understanding of biology and the genetic root causes of disease are leading to better, earlier, and safer treatment options. The burgeoning field of liquid biopsies and other next-generation diagnostics allow us to detect cancers earlier and monitor recurrence in survivors, which promises to greatly improve survival rates. New therapeutic modalities ranging from genetic medicines to cell therapies to bispecific antibodies create opportunities for personalized treatments that are highly effective. It can be difficult for investors to keep track of the rapidly advancing scientific frontier, but there won't be an excuse this week. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021 is being held virtually from April 10 through April 15. As a scientific meeting, many companies will be presenting updates on key preclinical and clinical assets -- for the first time publicly, in some cases -- with a bias towards earlier-stage assets. Scientists across academic institutions, non-profit research centers, and industry will also gather to discuss challenges and opportunities for specific technologies ranging from the use of natural killer (NK) cells in cancer treatment, choosing biomarkers for liquid biopsy diagnostics, the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in drug discovery and disease monitoring, and many more. Given the focus on early-stage assets, investors might not expect too many market-moving announcements. However, AACR will be a great time to check in on your investment thesis for a specific company or technology, get a better glimpse of the competitive landscape, and put new technologies on your radar for the next few years. For example, investors who kept pace with similar scientific meetings in recent years would have seen the massive market opportunities for liquid biopsies and potentially made life-changing investments in the pioneers. Topics discussed in this episode include next-generation diagnostics for tracking minimal residual disease (MRD), next-generation bispecific antibodies, and precision oncology. To view the full program, abstracts, and more, please visit the AACR Annual Meeting 2021 website. Publicly-traded companies mentioned in this podcast include Adaptive Biotechnologies, Agenus, Eli Lilly, Exact Sciences, Guardant Health, Illumina (via proposed acquisition of Grail), Invitae, Merus, NeoGenomics, and Xencor. 7investing Lead Advisors may have positions in the companies that are mentioned. This interview was originally recorded on April 5th, 2021 and was first published on April 8th, 2021.