Existing tests for RA patients provide little information about the underlying biology of the disease, which is believed to vary greatly among individuals and to change over time. As a result, most treatment decisions are based solely on the patient’s physical signs and symptoms. Although consideration of a patient’s signs and symptoms is critical, this approach means that biologically different patients are treated the same way because their clinical manifestations are similar. This has led to significant variation in patients’ quality of life and long-term outcomes from treatment.
Given the significant heterogeneity of underlying disease biology that is a hallmark of all autoimmune diseases, and the progress in understanding this complex biology over the past decade, the time has clearly arrived for rheumatology to benefit from the same types of advances in molecular testing that have already been incorporated into the fields of oncology, hematology and cardiology. This is now a major priority for ongoing research and will become a key driver of innovation.
Numerous RA studies have also shown that frequent measurement of patient status, with resulting changes in patient management to achieve a specific target measurement, can lead to better outcomes – a concept known as tight control. Precise, quantitative tests of disease biology hold the promise of enabling even tighter control. Crescendo Bioscience® is working to fill the gap with a portfolio of reproducible, quantitative tools to help improve treatment outcomes.
"You cannot manage what you do not measure" - J.E. Demming