A changing landscape for companion diagnostics

Abstract

2nd European Symposium of Biopathology Paris, France, 13–14 June, 2013

This report highlights some of the presentations and discussions at the second European Symposium of Biopathology, Paris, France, 13–14 June 2013. The symposium covered a wide range of topics in the space between molecular biology and pathology such as DNA sequencing, cancer genome interpretation, cell-free tumor DNA in plasma, molecular pathology, tissue biomarkers, biomarker discovery, companion diagnostics (CDx), drug–diagnostic co-development and targeted cancer therapy. However, in this short report, the focus will be on CDx and drug–diagnostic co-development in oncology, where a new landscape seems to emerge. As discussed at the symposium, we are slowly moving away from the ‘one biomarker: one drug’ scenario, which has characterized the first decades of targeted cancer drug development, toward a more integrated approach with multiple biomarkers and drugs. This ‘new paradigm’ will likely pave the way for the introduction of multiplexing strategies in the clinic using gene expression arrays and next-generation sequencing.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

JT Jørgensen is currently working in a short-term appointment for Dako and has given lectures at meetings sponsored by Roche and AstraZeneca. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.