Abstract
Many scientific articles have been published that use gene-expression-based technologies to discriminate a trait of interest, typically a disease subgroup, within a patient population. However, few gene-expression-based signatures have at present reached the market and become a financially and clinically successful product. The technological, scientific and medical challenges, the regulatory environment and the financial considerations are all essential parts of the development process. Here we discuss the scientific aspects of successfully developing a gene-expression-based signature and review the global strategy of six products that made it to the market. We also present a point-to-point guide that should help researchers to successfully develop genomic signatures, thus paving the way towards personalized medicine.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
Joanna Ashton-Chess and Alessandra CL Cervino are employees of TcLand Expression, a biotechnology company developing gene expression diagnostics. Joanna Ashton-Chess is the secretary of EPEMED. The authors have 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.