Summary

A biomarker is a defined molecular characteristic, for example a genetic mutation, that can tell a physician more about a patient’s disease state, or how they might respond to treatment. Predictive biomarkers indicate how likely a patient is to respond to a treatment, and are used in clinical decision making. In some cases, a patient must possess a particular biomarker to receive a particular drug. For example, breast cancer patients must test positive for HER2 in order to receive anti-HER2 therapy. Companion diagnostics (CDx) are in vitro diagnostics used to measure biomarkers deemed essential for the use of a particular drug, and their use is on the rise, particularly in oncology. In fact, over 90% of FDA-approved CDx are for cancer indications. This is likely because oncology treatments have a relatively high ‘failure’ rate compared to other diseases, and treating a patient with the right drug is often very time-sensitive due to the aggressive nature of some cancers. Biomarkers are of high interest to multiple stakeholders in oncology and have been a...