Latest advances in biomarker discovery and development.

Abstract Oxford Global's 7th Annual Biomarkers Congress, held February 21-22, 2012, in Manchester (UK), gathered together approximately 300 delegates and speakers with a specific interest in biomarkers and their application in the field of drug discovery and development, as well as their enabling technologies. The audience and participants came from diverse and mixed backgrounds, from academicians and industry business professionals to representatives of solutions providers and CROs offering services in the field of biomarker assay development and sample analysis. Focus was broad, including all types of biomarkers and their application, i.e., prognostic and diagnostic markers, predictive markers, patient selection strategies in drug development, point-of-care solutions, pharmacodynamic and target engagement biomarkers as well as safety-related approaches. There were presentations spanning the entire range of biomarker development, from discovery to clinical qualification and analytical validation of a specific marker or a markers panel. A wide range of therapeutic areas were also covered; however, the fields of oncology and inflammatory diseases were more prominent, since they currently provide best case studies for biomarker discovery and clinical utility.