As the landscape of drug discovery evolves, breakthrough technologies like organoids are gaining traction for their potential to revolutionize how new treatments are developed. In this episode of CrownCast, Jonny McMichael, Vice President at Crown Bioscience, and Leo Price, a member of Crown Bioscience’s Scientific Advisory Board, shed light on organoids' growing role in drug development. With insights into their application, this commentary delves into a technology that offers a significant leap toward personalized medicine, ushering in a new era for the healthcare industry.

In the relentlessly evolving landscape of drug discovery, modern technologies and groundbreaking methods are going beyond animal testing to ensure a more human-centric, efficient, and improved approach in terms of reliability. It's a journey that promises a more efficient future for pharmaceutical companies and, ultimately, patients worldwide.

In a rapidly shifting landscape of personalized medicine, biomarkers have become central to shaping the way drug development and clinical trials unfold. From predicting therapeutic response to identifying optimal patient populations, the complexity and scope of biomarker use has increased alongside technological advances. A key success story like the BCR-ABL biomarker in chronic myeloid leukemia demonstrates the power of targeted medicine, which has raised five-year survival rates from around 30–50% to over 90%. With the rise of multi-omics and AI-driven analytics, the industry is entering a new era of integration, data complexity—and unprecedented possibility.

Once labeled “undruggable,” KRAS has emerged as one of oncology’s most promising—yet complex—targets. With nearly 90% of pancreatic cancers and 30-40% of lung and colorectal cancers harboring KRAS mutations, the need for effective therapies is urgent. Recent FDA approvals of KRAS G12C inhibitors have signaled a new era, but the rise of resistance and diverse mutation profiles demand deeper innovation. As preclinical tools and combination strategies evolve, scientists must ask: how do we stay ahead of KRAS-driven resistance and translate insights into patient-specific treatment success?

In the last two decades, oncology has undergone a transformation with over 300 new cancer therapies approved by the FDA—many offering novel mechanisms of action. Despite these innovations, resistance to treatment remains a critical challenge, with cancer cells evolving or adapting to evade even the most advanced therapeutics. This issue is particularly pressing given that resistance often leads to disease relapse, severely impacting patient outcomes and quality of life.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the drug discovery process, moving from augmenting research to actively driving innovation. As biotech companies face soaring R&D costs and long development cycles, AI promises a breakthrough: slashing drug development time by nearly half while improving accuracy in identifying promising compounds. With global pharmaceutical R&D spending projected to exceed $230 billion by 2026, efficiency isn't just desirable—it's critical.

In the ever-evolving world of cancer treatment, immuno-oncology (IO) continues to stand at the forefront of innovation. With recent FDA approvals for TIL therapies and bispecific antibodies, and new developments in CAR-T technologies, the field is rapidly expanding into combination-based strategies that integrate with standard care. Researchers are also exploring how to overcome challenges posed by the tumor microenvironment and immune cell exhaustion to increase therapeutic success rates.