Companion diagnostics: emerging strategies and issues in pharmaceutical development

Abstract

This article summarizes the broad messages from pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies on the collaborations required to support companion diagnostics. Since the groundbreaking herceptin HER2 diagnostic model in 1998, it has taken until 2011 for the US FDA to issue a draft guidance document, which was then immediately followed with approvals for two new drugs and their companion diagnostics. This conference summarized the current state of thinking in new projects and innovative technologies in pharmaceutical and diagnostic codevelopment. Attitudes are slowly changing and collaborations are rapidly ensuing, although the alignment between pharmaceutical and diagnostic understanding of value, timelines, outcomes and impact is difficult and remains a contentious area. The value of this conference has been to address these issues.

Keywords::

• CDx
• companion diagnostics
• personalized medicine
• point of care

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors are contracted to Integrated Medicines Ltd and this company presented a workshop session before the conference. 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.