Biomarkers

Gate Neurosciences has announced positive topline quantitative EEG (qEEG) biomarker and safety results from its Phase I multiple ascending dose study of apimostinel in healthy volunteers. The results demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in qEEG pharmacodynamic biomarkers of NMDA receptor target activation from baseline, compared with subjects who received placebo. Maximal qEEG effects were observed at […]

The DDW Turning Science into Business Summit, ‘Cancer research opportunities and advances’ will take place online on 16 November at 7AM PDT / 10AM EDT / 3PM GMT / 4PM CET and will be available on-demand after that date. The free summit, sponsored by Taconic Biosciences, will offer expert thought leadership on cancer research, precision […]

Professor Andy Whiting and Dr Tony Lockett discuss how specific levels of a protein could be used to advance drug development in neurodegenerative diseases. Neurofilament light (NfL) analysis is a potential biomarker for damage to both the central and peripheral nervous system. It has been used experimentally in international trials1, but researchers are hopeful that […]

GeNeuro and Verily will work together to investigate biomarkers related to activation of the proinflammatory HERV-W envelope protein (W-ENV) in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Through this collaboration, the companies will build on results published earlier this year, which evidenced the in vitro activation of HERV-W by SARS-CoV-2 in susceptible individuals and the correlation between W-ENV protein levels […]

DDW Editor Reece Armstrong speaks to Dr Steve Gardner, Co-Founder and CEO of PrecisionLife about work the company is doing to improve our understanding of endometriosis.  RA: You’ve recently announced a collaboration with the University of Oxford to access genotype data on women with endometriosis. How can analysing this data improve our understanding of the […]

A new blood test has been shown to identify biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease, providing an early warning of cognitive decline. Early results from PharmaKure, a pharmaceutical company spun out from The University of Manchester, UK, shows a novel whole blood test (ALZmetrix) developed by the company can quantify Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. The test may enable […]

The Fall issue of Drug Discovery World (DDW) is out now featuring expertise on what spatial biology tells us about drug discovery and disease. Read the digital version free here. Other features in the Fall issue include: How biomarkers can help discover new treatments for women’s health A market report on the innovation taking place across […]

Eurofins Genomics has adopted Olink technology to advance proteomics research and accelerate its precision medicine programmes. The collaboration is designed to bolster the company’s offerings in the fields of research, population health, and regulated clinical trials. Olink Explore HT is the company’s latest solution for high-throughput proteomics, allowing scientists to accurately measure over 5,300 proteins […]

A new study has shed light on the genetic messages encoded by genes within ‘triple negative’ breast cancers (TNBC), and shows they could predict response to chemotherapy. The study, by researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, shows that certain characteristics within patients’ primary tumours can predict how they will respond to different treatments […]

Rivka Kreitman, CIO of NeuraLight explores the landscape of therapies for Alzheimer’s and explains why digital biomarkers are key to combatting the disease. Neurodegenerative diseases – the collection of progressive conditions characterised by neuron cell damage and death and subsequent loss of motor function – represent a significant burden for patients, their caregivers, and the […]

Purple Biotech has revealed positive new results from exploratory analyses conducted as part of a Phase I dose escalation study into CM24 plus nivolumab for advanced cancer. The study enrolled 14 patients with advanced cancers including 11 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC), two patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) and one patient with papillary thyroid cancer. […]

Ahead of this year’s SLAS2023 conference in San Diego (which takes place 25 February – 1 March) DDW’s Megan Thomas narrates articles from the DDW SLAS2023 supplement as part of the DDW Events podcast series. This is episode two, Acquiring deeper insights and acceleration with AI. At IBM Research, a group of scientists and researchers […]

Following a resubmission from manufacturer Merck, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has now approved Tepmetko (tepotinib) for use on the NHS in Scotland.   It is recommended for the treatment of adult patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene (MET) exon 14 (METex14) skipping alterations.   This change was made following […]

A Phase IIa study of Alto Neuroscience’s ALTO-100 has demonstrated clear evidence of efficacy and a favourable safety record in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).   In the study, patients with a biomarker profile that ties back to a mechanistic understanding of ALTO-100 and depression exhibited a significantly greater change in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale […]

Several new products for the life sciences sector have been launched over the last month, from biomarker kits to video-based training platforms. DDW provides an update.  Breath Biopsy VOC Atlas – Owlstone Medical  The Breath Biopsy VOC Atlas is a catalogue of validated and quantitated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found on breath, designed to assist […]

Extensive manipulation, mechanical force and labelling methods used to enrich cells activate transcriptional programs that mask molecular profiles truly significant to any underlying disease. The consequence is the identification of drug targets that are not relevant to the biological process under study.  Based on Nakhoda and Olszanski, 2022 (Addressing Recent Failures in Immuno-Oncology Trials to […]