health policy
Steven Zecora
Recursion Pharmaceuticals today announced the results of a treatment discovered by its artificial intelligence. I am pleased to see a substantial and sustained reduction in polyps due to treatment of familial adenomatous polyposis. Recursions' oral drug will be considered “promising” by conventional scientific and regulatory circles.
On the other hand, I'm disappointed not to see/hear any mention of cost savings to society from this treatment, and a vague mention of collaboration with the FDA in the first half of 2026. Frankly, there seems to be a lack of urgency.
Currently, treating FAP is a costly, lifelong endeavor for more than 50,000 survivors. Early detection strategies cost upwards of $10,000, and late detection strategies cost upwards of $37,000. The cost of treating metastatic colorectal cancer, a cancer prone to FAP, can be very high, up to $300,000. Overall, the cost to society of FAP easily exceeds $1 billion per year, or more than $15 billion in present value terms.
This drug should not be subject to any further regulatory delays. There is now enough information on efficacy and safety to allow Recursion to further apply this treatment more broadly, while continuing to test dose levels and stratify patient populations. The alternative is more unnecessary cost and pain.
Twenty-three years ago, Steve Zecola sold his web application and hosting business when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Since then, he has worked in consulting, taught at graduate business schools, and practiced extensively
