By Fight Colorectal Cancer | November 2025

Innovation in cancer research is moving faster than ever, but progress only matters when it reaches every patient, everywhere. This November, as we reflect on inclusion and gratitude, we’re celebrating two partners helping turn that vision into reality: First Ascent Biomedical and Akamis Bio. Both are breaking down barriers to ensure that life-changing science and new treatment options reach all people affected by colorectal cancer, not just a few.

Precision medicine starts with understanding a tumor’s biology. For many patients, though, waiting weeks for results, or not having access to testing at all, can slow down important treatment decisions. That’s where First Ascent’s xDRIVE workflow comes in.

xDRIVE tests a patient’s live cancer cells against a broad panel of FDA-approved drugs and uses advanced analytics to match results with genetic and AI-driven insights. Within about ten business days, oncologists receive a personalized report that helps guide the next steps in care, faster, clearer, and tailored to each person’s unique biology.

Through its new collaboration with Fight CRC, First Ascent is helping expand access to this type of molecular testing in community clinics, rural hospitals, and safety-net systems. Together, we’re working to make testing equity a standard, not a luxury.

How to Get Started:

Patients can create an account through the secure First Ascent portal to begin the process. Once enrolled, their care team coordinates testing and receives results in as little as 10 business days.
→ Learn more or create an account at firstascentbiomedical.com
Questions? Email info@firstascentbio.com or call 786-746-6722.

You can also learn more about the partnership between First Ascent and Fight CRC:
→ Read about the collaboration

While new therapies are changing what’s possible in colorectal cancer care, not every patient has an easy path to research opportunities. Akamis Bio is working to change that.

Their FORTRESS study, a Phase 1b clinical trial, is testing NG-350A in combination with standard of care chemoradiotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). NG-350A is an intravenous oncolytic immunotherapy that delivers a CD40 agonist payload directly to tumor sites with the goal of activating a patient’s immune system to fight their cancer. Akamis Bio hopes that NG-350A will open new doors for LARC patients whose treatment options may be limited.

What makes Akamis Bio’s approach special is their commitment to accessibility for FORTRESS. The company provides travel and lodging assistance for participants, removing barriers that can make joining a study difficult. Their philosophy is simple but powerful: if patients can’t reach research, bring research to them.

Learn more about the FORTRESS study and Akamis Bio’s work:
→ FORTRESS Study Website
→ Akamis Bio Receives FDA Fast Track Designation for NG-350A
→ Enrollment of First Patient in the FORTRESS Trial

Hear more about the FORTRESS study and Akamis Bio’s mission to make research accessible — [listen to the podcast here]

From faster, more inclusive genetic testing to trials that help patients overcome real-world barriers, First Ascent and Akamis Bio show what’s possible when innovation meets empathy.

This Thanksgiving season, we’re especially grateful for partners — and for patients — who remind us that progress is about people. Every story shared, every barrier broken, brings us closer to a world where every patient has access to care, knowledge, and hope they deserve.

Science for everyone means making sure every voice and every zip code has a place at the table.

To learn more about accessible clinical trials and genetic testing opportunities, visit:
→ Search clinical trials at ClinicalTrials.gov

Disclaimer: This podcast transcript was generated with the assistance of AI. It may contain errors or inaccuracies. Please refer to the original post for the most accurate representation.