Biomarker Commons

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Center have identified a new biomarker and therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, an often-fatal disease for which there is currently no reliable method for early detection or therapeutic intervention. The paper will be published May 15 in Cancer Research.

ValiRx Plc (AIM: VAL), a life science company with a focus on cancer diagnostics and therapeutics for personalised medicine, is pleased to announce that a method for cancer screening, using specific gene biomarkers in the field of genetics and oncology, has recently received patent approval by the United States' patent office.

The granting of this latest patent means that ValiRx now has biomarker patent protection in both the US and across Europe, alongside granted and pending patents for its therapeutic technologies across Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced it has signed an asset purchase agreement with Nephromics LLC, which includes a patent license for exclusive rights to use PlGF (Placental Growth Factor) for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. Clinical trials have shown that PlGF supports the diagnosis and risk prediction for preeclampsia (PE).

OPKO Health, Inc. (NYSE:OPK) today announced execution of a license agreement granting International Health Technology, Ltd. (Cambridge, England) the right to offer OPKO's novel panel of kallikrein biomarkers and associated algorithm for the detection of prostate cancer in a laboratory setting in the U.K., Ireland, Sweden and Denmark. The OPKO panel represents the culmination of a decade of research by scientists in Europe and the U.S. and has been demonstrated in over 10,000 patients to predict the probability of cancer-positive biopsy in men suspect for prostate cancer. Studies have shown use of the panel could eliminate a significant amount of unnecessary prostate biopsies, demonstrating a reduction of over 50%.

Genomic Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GHDX) and OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OncoMed) today announced a strategic alliance to use Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to identify biomarkers that can be applied to the clinical development of OncoMed's novel antibody cancer therapeutics.

The Covance Symposium Recent Advances in Biomarkers of Parkinson’s Disease presented at the 2011 Society for Neuroscience Conference is now available to watch on the Covance website. Listen to discussions regarding recent innovations in imaging, genomic, proteomic, and fluid biomarkers of Parkinson's disease and their potential application to the clinic.