Mike Hennessy, Sr, Chairman

Debate and discussion about the origin of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been at the forefront of the global consciousness since the first cases were reported in December 2019.

Delivering the right treatment to the right patient with an eye toward tumor characteristics and gene alterations is at the heart of precision medicine. In this issue, we explore ongoing efforts to achieve precision medicine across disease settings.

This was the fastest vaccine development program in history, and it’s not even close. David Pride, MD, PhD, a microbiologist at the University of California, San Diego, estimates that vaccines typically take 10 to 15 years to develop. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the fastest development timeline was 4 years, for the mumps vaccine.

As I write this, the 2016 ASCO conference has just concluded in Chicago. And, as is typical with this event, the amount and level of groundbreaking research and information presented at this year's conference is nothing less than staggering in its scope, innovation, and promise.