Published Date: 28/08/2008
Category: Emerging Technologies & Scientific Research
The cancer biomarker market represents one of the largest segments of biomarkers in terms of revenue. In 2007, the estimated cancer biomarker market accounted for around 55% of biomarker revenues at over US$3 billion, with the majority of revenues derived from biomarker discovery and molecular diagnostics. This market is relatively mature due to researchers’ comprehensive understanding of the underlying genetic and proteomic components of the disease. It has been the focus for the majority of the early biomarker research which was aimed at the discovery and identification of biomarkers that guided the development of targeted therapies (companion diagnostics) and has been stimulated by advances in technology platforms for the analysis of biological samples (blood, serum and tissue).
Abbott Diagnostics, Affymetrix, Agendia BV, AltheaDx, AVEO Pharmaceuticals, AviaraDx, BD Medicine, Beckman Coulter, BioCurex, Biomedical Diagnostics, Biomerica, Bruker, Daltonics, Caprion Proteomics, Celera, Clinical Data, Dako Denmark A/S, DxS Ltd., Epigenomics AG, EpiStem, Fujirebio Diagnostics, Gen-Probe, Genomics Health, GeneNews, Genzyme Genetics, InterGenetics, Ipsogen Therapeutics, Laboratory Corporation of America, Matritech, Monogram Biosciences, Orion Genomics, Oxford Genome Sciences (UK), Power3 Medical Products, Predictive Biosciences, Provista Life Sciences, Quest Diagnostics, Roche Diagnostics, SuperArray Bioscience Corporation, Third Wave Technologies, Upstream Biosciences, Veridex, Vermillion
Collaborative working is essential
During the last two years, the leading pharma companies such as Abbott, AstraZeneca, Eisai, Merck & Co, sanofi-aventis, Solvay, Pfizer, Roche and Wyeth have been forming strategic alliances with a variety of companies, including Caprion Proteomics, Celera, Epigenomics, EpiStem, Monogram BioSciences (formerly ViroLogic) and Vermillion which are all actively involved in biomarker discovery and validation. Many of these agreements have been established in the last 12 months and pursue the identification of multiple oncology biomarkers that complement pharma product pipelines. For example, in March 2008 Abbott established a collaboration with Genentech, Roche and OSI to develop an EGFR FISH based test for NSCLC testing. Similarly, specialty pharma companies such as Amgen, Myriad and OSI Pharmaceuticals have formed collaborations to utilise biomarkers in drug discovery and development programmes. Increasingly, the industry is establishing relationships with leading academic institutes to clinically validate biomarkers prior to their use in clinical drug development programmes. For example, in the US, the Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Johns Hopkins University, The University of Kentucky, the Mayo Clinic, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center and, in Europe, the Institut Curie in France and the University of Oxford in the UK are all assessing new cancer biomarkers and technology platforms for biomarker discovery and validation.
Focus on...opportunities
The cancer biomarker sector will be driven by...