Theranostics

By Dr Mikael Kubista Quantitative real-time PCR is becoming mature technology for the quantification of nucleic acids. It is spreading wide outside its original use in the research laboratories, becoming preferred technology for a range of applications, many that require specialised so lutions and adaptations. Integration with pre-analytical steps and post-processing operations are becoming key […]

By Dr Stephen Naylor and Toby Cole In this article we describe the current state of Companion Diagnostics and its impact on the pharmaceutical sector, and the need for Companion Diagnostics in the drug discovery and development process. This perspective is augmented by a consideration of the development of Companion Diagnostics as well as a […]

Industry Strategies on Theranostics: Need for structural alignment Dr Rutger O. van Merkerk and Dr Wouter P.C. Boon Theranostics is said to change the way patients will manage their disease. Such a change assumes that diagnostics and therapeutics become increasingly linked based on genetic information. Companies that adhere to this vision have different strategies to […]

Genetics & Personalised Medicine – Whole genome association and genetic linkage studies By Dr John W. Hooper Genetic linkage studies have long been the standard for researching the genetics associated with heritable diseases. Recently, however, scientists have begun to realise the benefits of whole genome association studies, which enable them to view the entire human […]

The Genome as a Tool for Drug Discovery and Development the Case for Embracing Complexity By Dr Kenneth C. Carter Conventional drug discovery and development is centred on a paradigm in which ‘validated’ targets are subjected to in vitro screens for the identification of new drug candidates. Molecular profiling using genomic approaches is becoming an […]

Fewer drugs approved, more money spent – Where’s the beef? By G. Steven Burrill Three years ago, when biotech was at its Wall Street heights, personalised medicine and its promise were on everyone’s lips. Billions of dollars were being put to work to make targeted medicine a reality… and genomics was the solution. With the […]

By Dr Ian Gilham The increasing cost of healthcare along with new opportunities for improved treatments puts ever increasing pressures on healthcare budgets. In recent years the diagnostic industry in particular has been the target of a number of cost-cutting exercises by governments and payers aimed at restricting the utilisation of diagnostic tests. This in […]