Biomarker News and Research

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A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. Also called molecular marker and signature molecule.

University of Pittsburgh awarded $3.5M NIH grant for WaferGen Biosystems's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a leading developer of state-of-the-art genetic analysis systems, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a grant to the University of Pittsburgh that includes funding of $350,000 over the grant period for WaferGen's SmartChip™ Real-Time PCR System. The researchers will conduct novel gene expression research in the areas of advanced lung disease and asthma and will use the SmartChip system as the key platform for high throughput validation.

1 Feb 2010

New biomarker may predict treatment outcomes in RA patients

Investigators have identified a biomarker that could help doctors select patients with rheumatoid arthritis who will benefit from therapy with drugs such as Enbrel, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-antagonist drug.

30 Jan 2010

Researchers use sophisticated brain-imaging techniques to predict Alzheimer's before symptoms appear

Estimates are that some 10 percent of people over the age of 65 will develop Alzheimer's disease, the scourge that robs people of their memories and, ultimately, their lives.

29 Jan 2010

UCLA researchers predict brain's progression to Alzheimer's before symptoms are visible

Estimates are that some 10 percent of people over the age of 65 will develop Alzheimer's disease, the scourge that robs people of their memories and, ultimately, their lives.

29 Jan 2010

VisEn Medical acquires Bayer Schering Pharma AG's fluorescence agent intellectual property portfolios

VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence in vivo imaging from research through medicine, announced today that it has acquired the fluorescence imaging agent intellectual property portfolios and related technology platforms from Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Germany.

29 Jan 2010

Automated measurements more reliable in moderate cases of knee degeneration

Scientists have automated the measurement of a vital part of the knee in images with a computer program that performs much faster and just as reliably as humans who interpret the same images.

28 Jan 2010

BG Medicine launches new, CE-marked galectin-3 test

BG Medicine, Inc., a privately-held developer of biomarker-based in vitro diagnostics, today announced the commercial launch in the European Union of a new, CE-marked test for the measurement of galectin-3 in human plasma or serum. Galectin-3 was first shown by researchers at the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, to play an integral role in the development and progression of heart failure.

27 Jan 2010

Proteomics study reveals protein suppression makes cancers more susceptible to chemotherapy

Taxanes, a group of cancer drugs that includes paclitaxel (Taxol-) and docetaxel (Taxotere-), have become front-line therapy for a variety of metastatic cancers. But as with many chemotherapy agents, resistance can develop, a frequent problem in breast, ovarian, prostate and other cancers.

27 Jan 2010

Dynavax Technologies to present data on its SD-101 Phase 1b trial for chronic HCV infection

Dynavax Technologies Corporation announced today data from two studies that differentiate SD-101 from standard-of-care as well as emerging treatments for chronic HCV infection. The findings of a Phase 1b clinical trial and an in vitro study of SD-101's mechanism of action show that the second-generation TLR9 agonist is well tolerated and safe and induces both IFN-lambda and IFN-alpha at concentrations producing antiviral activity. The data will be presented at the 45th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver in Vienna, Austria in April 2010.

27 Jan 2010

Erbitux improves survival of mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type tumors

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced that Erbitux® (cetuximab) provided an improvement in overall survival (OS) when added to the standard 1st-line FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimen for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients with KRAS wild-type tumors in the CRYSTAL study.

24 Jan 2010

Intrinsic Bioprobes licenses diabetes biomarkers to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics

Intrinsic Bioprobes today announced the exclusive licensing of two novel biomarkers for diabetes to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. (Raritan, NJ). The biomarkers are modified forms of blood-circulating proteins and have been linked with the presence of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed.

From Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. 22 Jan 2010

Combining ultrasound with proteomic analyses of blood early-stage ovarian cancer can be identified

Noninvasive contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, combined with proteomic analyses of blood samples may help physicians identify early-stage ovarian cancer and save the lives of many women, according to an article published in the February issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

22 Jan 2010

Amgen announces results of two Phase 3 studies evaluating Vectibix for mCRC

Amgen today announced that detailed results from two pivotal Phase 3 studies evaluating Vectibix® (panitumumab) in combination with chemotherapy for the first and second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) (the PRIME '203' and '181' trials, respectively) will be presented at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando, Florida from Jan. 22-24, 2010.

21 Jan 2010

VisEn Medical announces the commercial launch of new Cat B 680 FAST imaging agent

VisEn Medical Inc., a leader in fluorescence in vivo imaging from research through medicine, announced today the commercial launch of its new Cat B 680 FAST™ imaging agent for measuring and monitoring cathepsin B activity associated with disease progression and therapeutic response in vivo.

21 Jan 2010

LABEC Pharma meets European regulatory guidelines to sell Interleukin Genetics' Heart Health genetic test

Interleukin Genetics, Inc. and LABEC Pharma, S.L. announced today that LABEC Pharma has met European regulatory guidelines to sell Interleukin Genetics' Heart Health genetic test. The test, which helps to identify individuals at elevated risk for early heart attack, will be marketed to physicians in Spain and Portugal by LABEC Pharma under the product name Cardio Health™.

20 Jan 2010

Gene variant predisposes humans to develop acute myeloid leukemia, says study

A large international research group led by Dr. Tarik M-r-y, a researcher at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr-al (IRCM), has discovered that a variant of the gene "Growth Factor Independence 1" (GFI1) predisposes humans to develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a certain subtype of blood cancer.

20 Jan 2010

Metabolon awarded US Patent for ‘metabolomics methods’

Metabolon, Inc., the leader in global metabolism through biomarker discovery and analysis, today announced that it was awarded US Patent 7,635,556 “Methods for Drug Discovery, Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Using Metabolomics” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on December 22, 2009.

18 Jan 2010

Sword Diagnostics launches Raman detection system for ultrasensitive immunoassays

Sword Diagnostics announced today the launch of its proprietary Raman detection system for ultrasensitive immunoassays. The system provides researchers with greater sensitivity which enables more accurate testing of low abundance markers.

18 Jan 2010

Findings could pave way for new therapeutic approaches for Friedreich's ataxia

Elevated levels of DNA damage have for the first time been found in the cellular mitochondria and nuclei of patients with the inherited, progressive nervous system disease called Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA), says a multicenter research team led by an expert from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).

18 Jan 2010

Researchers discover 93-gene signature associated with EGFR mutations in lung cancer tumors

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a validated therapeutic target for non-small cell lung cancer. Researchers have now discovered a 93-gene signature that is associated with the presence of EGFR mutations in tumors from lung cancer patients and is a favorable prognostic marker in patients with early stage lung cancer.

13 Jan 2010

Biomarker News and Research

Further Reading

University of Pittsburgh awarded $3.5M NIH grant for WaferGen Biosystems's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System

New biomarker may predict treatment outcomes in RA patients

Researchers use sophisticated brain-imaging techniques to predict Alzheimer's before symptoms appear

UCLA researchers predict brain's progression to Alzheimer's before symptoms are visible

VisEn Medical acquires Bayer Schering Pharma AG's fluorescence agent intellectual property portfolios

Automated measurements more reliable in moderate cases of knee degeneration

BG Medicine launches new, CE-marked galectin-3 test

Proteomics study reveals protein suppression makes cancers more susceptible to chemotherapy

Dynavax Technologies to present data on its SD-101 Phase 1b trial for chronic HCV infection

Erbitux improves survival of mCRC patients with KRAS wild-type tumors

Intrinsic Bioprobes licenses diabetes biomarkers to Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics

Combining ultrasound with proteomic analyses of blood early-stage ovarian cancer can be identified

Amgen announces results of two Phase 3 studies evaluating Vectibix for mCRC

VisEn Medical announces the commercial launch of new Cat B 680 FAST imaging agent

LABEC Pharma meets European regulatory guidelines to sell Interleukin Genetics' Heart Health genetic test

Gene variant predisposes humans to develop acute myeloid leukemia, says study

Metabolon awarded US Patent for ‘metabolomics methods’

Sword Diagnostics launches Raman detection system for ultrasensitive immunoassays

Findings could pave way for new therapeutic approaches for Friedreich's ataxia

Researchers discover 93-gene signature associated with EGFR mutations in lung cancer tumors

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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