Susan McClure, founder and CEO of Genome Creative, says that while clinical adoption of targeted treatments remains low, multi-stakeholder efforts such as FT3 can change this
Tell us more about your organization
We specialize in content strategy, editorial and design updates, event creation and management, websites, podcasts, apps, and marketing. Specifically, we work with partners who share our vision of educating people around how their treatment options are changing thanks to our increased understanding of our DNA. Our goal is to educate people around this exciting time in health care while dispelling myths, explaining the science, and encouraging further exploration.
Genome Creative specializes in creating compelling content that explains complicated topics in a language that everyone can understand. Our team of award-winning science writers and health care journalists are adept at covering this emerging field in a way that is engaging and accessible.
What does personalized medicine mean to you?
I’ve been leading consumer health media companies since 2003, after recovering from an aggressive form of breast cancer. I spent a decade as the publisher of CURE magazine. During my time there, I realized that treatment options were becoming more targeted but clinical adoption and consumer awareness remained low. I am on a mission to fix that.
I left CURE in late 2012 to launch the first national consumer magazine exclusively devoted to genomics. Genome magazine launched in 2014 with the mission of exploring the world of personalized medicine and the genomic revolution that makes it possible, empowering readers to make informed health decisions by improving their health literacy.
While doing research for the business plan, I was truly shocked to see how many treatments that are considered the “standard of care” for conditions like depression, cancer, and Alzheimer’s are ineffective for many patients. Can you imagine if the same standards applied to the auto industry for example? Just imagine how upset you’d be if you paid $70,000 for a car that only ran 25 to 30 percent of the time! We need to demand more of our health care system.
Why is your organization interested in participating in this multi-stakeholder collaboration? What has your organization been doing in this space?
While I am a huge advocate for personalized medicine, I understand the complexities that exist in terms of adoption. I believe that the only way to break down barriers is to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders who are committed to improving access to testing and targeted treatments for any patient who may benefit. My team already works with clients on communication strategies that educate patients about the ways testing and treatment for a variety of conditions are becoming more targeted. We also direct patients to useful resources so they are better equipped to have meaningful conversations with their HCPs about more personalized treatment options.
What makes this collaboration unique?
I believe that this is the first and only global coalition to address this issue by bringing patients, advocates, pharma and diagnostic companies, HCPs, payers, and regulators who will all work together to establish best practices to make personalized care accessible to all people.
What are your ultimate expectations from the project?
My hope is that no matter where a person lives in the world, when faced with a health challenge that could benefit from testing and treatments tailored to the unique characteristics of their disease, they will have easy access to education, information, and support that will enable them to make better health decisions with improved outcomes.