Imaging biomarkers hold promise but not a total solution

Large Pharma firms have been seeking new biomarkers for years - all part of their drug discovery process, but often only as an afterthought in the development process. That is changed over recent years, but by-and-large the bulk of biomarker work remains in the hands of small -to-medium-sized companies whose focused approach is more attuned to biomarkers being a major element of a final product, says consultant NGP.

Pharmaceutical companies have invested heavily in Translational Science (TS), both clinical and preclinical, to smooth the passage of compounds into clinical development. There are some excellent examples of effective uses of TS in developing biomarkers to select dose, evaluate efficacy and tolerability as well as some examples of patient selection.

Becoming industrialized process