Behind the Relapse No One Saw Coming: How First Ascent Biomedical Is Changing Cancer Treatment Decisions

Logan Jenner, a five-year-old battling acute myeloid leukemia, found new hope through a clinical trial that used Functional Precision Medicine to guide a personalized treatment approach after standard therapies failed.

MIAMI, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a groundbreaking development, First Ascent Biomedical unveils a compelling narrative of resilience and innovation through the story of three-year-old Logan Jenner. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)—an aggressive cancer that begins in the bone marrow and can rapidly spread—Logan endured three lines of chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and 150 days in treatment. He ultimately reached remission. But by the time he turned five, his cancer made a heartbreaking return.

As Logan resumed chemotherapy, the Jenner family searched desperately for new options. Their hope arrived when they learned about a clinical trial (NCT03860376) underway at the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. The trial used Functional Precision Medicine (FPM), developed by First Ascent Biomedical co-founder Dr. Diana Azzam. This first-of-its-kind technology combines patient-derived live-cell testing, genomics, and cutting-edge AI to rapidly identify treatments tailored to each patient's unique biology. A personalized patient report is delivered to the oncologist in an average of 10 days.

"After exhausting all conventional therapies, Logan's tumor was tested using the functional precision medicine platform, revealing sensitivity to a combination of drugs that could not have been predicted by genomics alone. This data provided his medical team with a new, personalized strategy rooted in his own biology," said Diana Jenner, Logan's mom and now Head of Patient Advocacy at First Ascent. "Logan's case is proof of how Functional Precision Medicine can uncover effective and unexpected options when traditional treatments fall short. Today, Logan is cancer-free, healthy, and enjoying life as every child his age should."

Accelerating the Journey to Remission
When conventional treatments fail, patients with recurrent or treatment-resistant cancers urgently need better options across solid and blood cancers. In 2025, more than 2 million people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer, and an estimated 618,120 died from the disease, underscoring the uncertainty and complexity of treatment decisions when standard approaches fall short. Acute myeloid leukemia, like Logan's, is one example of this broader challenge, representing an aggressive cancer with high relapse rates despite advances in care. First Ascent Biomedical addresses this challenge across all cancer types, supporting more informed decisions for patients with relapsed or treatment-resistant disease.

"Our platform replaces uncertainty with evidence. We provide oncologists with clear, actionable insights to make informed decisions quickly," noted Jim Foote, CEO at First Ascent Biomedical. "FPM bridges the gap between genomic potential and real-world response, supporting more precise, evidence-based treatment decisions for patients facing limited options."

Bridging the Gap Between Genomics and Real-Time Data
Cancer treatment traditionally leans on consensus-based approaches that may not account for individual differences. Logan's experience highlights the limitations of this model—and how the FPM approach changed his outcome.

The study published in Nature Medicine found that 83% of patients in First Ascent's trials experienced improved outcomes when guided by FPM therapies, remaining cancer-free for a median of 8.5 times longer than with previous treatments.

Key advantages of FPM include:

• Real-Time Drug Testing: Live tumor cells are tested against a wide range of drugs to identify precisely what works and, equally important, what doesn't.
• Scalable Solutions: Automation and robotics facilitate rapid testing, making FPM a viable option even in large-scale clinical settings.
• Reduced Toxicity: Eliminating ineffective treatments early minimizes side effects and unnecessary suffering.
• AI-Enabled Drug Selection and Analysis: Artificial intelligence prioritizes the most promising therapies before testing and analyzes drug sensitivity and genomic data after testing to guide treatment selection.
• Time-Sensitive Impact: Physicians receive treatment guidance quickly, preserving crucial time in the battle against cancer.

"If a standard therapy worked for one month before the cancer returned, the FPM-guided option often worked for eight or nine months. This shows how FPM can reveal effective treatments that standard genomic testing or standard-of-care regimens alone often miss," states Dr. Diana Azzam, co-founder of First Ascent Biomedical. "Instead of cycling through drugs, physicians can act on direct evidence of what will work, giving patients more time, less toxicity, and more hope."

A New Hope for Oncology Patients
"By knowing which drugs a tumor will respond to before treatment begins, patients gain time, physicians gain confidence, and the overall system becomes far more efficient and humane," highlights Dr. Azzam.

Integrating FPM into standard oncology care brings challenges, including workflow and reimbursement barriers. Yet the potential is undeniable, pointing toward a future where treatment decisions rely on real biological proof rather than trial-and-error.

"Logan's story shows what becomes possible when treatment decisions are guided by real biological evidence," Jenner added. "Every family deserves access to that level of insight, especially when the stakes are this high."

First Ascent Biomedical remains committed to driving this transformation and ensuring that the path to remission becomes not only a hopeful possibility but a realistic outcome for families everywhere.

About First Ascent Biomedical
First Ascent Biomedical is a first-of-its-kind oncology decision support platform designed for everyone navigating the uncertainty of cancer treatment decisions. The platform delivers specific, personalized insights beyond genomics alone by integrating ex vivo live-cell drug sensitivity testing, genomic data, and AI-driven cancer pattern recognition, and provides a clinically actionable report in an average of 10 days. The platform is clinically validated and prospectively published in peer-reviewed journals, reinforcing its scientific rigor and real-world applicability. By helping clinicians identify effective therapies and avoid ineffective ones across solid and blood cancers, First Ascent has the potential to improve patient outcomes and response rates, increase healthcare efficiency, and accelerate drug validation across the oncology ecosystem.

For more information, visit firstascentbiomedical.com 

References

1. Thomas, B. (2024, May 30). The road to remission: A new approach to functional precision medicine for recurrent cancers. Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. pcrf-kids.org/2024/05/30/the-road-to-remission-a-new-approach-to-functional-precision-medicine-for-recurrent-cancers/
   
   
2. American Cancer Society. (2024, January 17). Key statistics for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). cancer.org. cancer.org/cancer/types/acute-myeloid-leukemia/about/key-statistics.html
   
   
3. TEDx Talks. (2025, August 19). How functional precision medicine could be the future of cancer care | dr. diana azzam | tedxmiami. YouTube. youtube.com/watch?v=CqLCgNxUhVc
   
   
4. Acanda De La Rocha, A. M., Berlow, N. E., Fader, M., Coats, E. R., Saghira, C., Espinal, P. S., Galano, J., Khatib, Z., Abdella, H., Maher, O. M., Vorontsova, Y., Andrade-Feraud, C. M., Daccache, A., Jacome, A., Reis, V., Holcomb, B., Ghurani, Y., Rimblas, L., Guilarte, T. R., & Hu, N. (2024). Feasibility of functional precision medicine for guiding treatment of relapsed or refractory pediatric cancers. Nature Medicine, 1–11. doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-02848-4
   
   
5. Hofstatter, E. W., & E. Bale, A. (2013). The promise and pitfalls of genomics-driven cancer medicine. AMA Journal of Ethics, 15(8), 681–686. doi.org/10.1001/virtualmentor.2013.15.8.stas1-1308

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SOURCE First Ascent Biomedical