UCSF Researchers Highlight Diagnostic Lag Hindering New Therapies
Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have identified a significant lag in the development of diagnostics compared to therapeutics, which is hindering progress in treating major diseases. The study, published in the journal Science, highlights that while new drugs are being developed, the diagnostics needed to guide their use are not keeping pace due to policy gaps and payment barriers. This disparity is particularly evident in the regulation and reimbursement of diagnostics, which receive less investment and insurance coverage than drugs. The study points out that without appropriate diagnostics, the effectiveness of new therapies, such as GLP-1 drugs for obesity and diabetes, is limited. The researchers call for policy changes to align the development and evaluation of diagnostics with therapeutics to ensure better healthcare outcomes. 
