March 28, 2011
An Integrated Approach to Biomarker Discovery

An Integrated Approach to Biomarker Discovery

One of the main challenges of biomarker discovery is the unbiased evaluation and rational selection of most promising biomarkers suitable for independent validation. The absence of a robust evaluation procedure can result in selecting too many biomarkers (thus creating multiplicity problems) with biased and often too optimistic estimates of performance and with limited clinical utility.

Almac’s Approach

Almac has developed an integrated approach to biomarker model development, evaluation and selection and applied it to real life projects. This approach is implemented in classification workflow software. This allows for parallel development of multiple biomarkers models and simultaneous generation of the data used in the model evaluation procedure we are going to describe in this webinar. An important feature of this procedure is the use of both statistical and functional characteristics of the models evaluated.

While traditional approaches to biomarker model generation commonly focus on purely statistical properties, in this webinar we demonstrate how functional analysis can be used as both an essential component of biomarker discovery as well as integral part of the biomarker selection process.

Join this webinar and learn:

• How some of the major challenges of biomarker discovery can be addressed in an integrated manner.
• How to discover and select the biomarker models most suitable for independent validation.
• The importance of functional analysis as an essential component of biomarker discovery.

VPs, Directors, and Managers of:

• Research and Development
• Biomarker Discovery and Development
• Companion Diagnostics
• Translational Medicine
• Pharmacogenomics
• Pharmacodiagnostics
• Strategic Outsourcing

For pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide

Max Bylesjo is a Bioinformatics Team Leader with Almac since 2008. He received his PhD in Chemistry from Umea University, Sweden. His research with Almac is centred on the development of computational pipelines in the generation of FFPE-based in-vitro diagnostics devices. This includes classification, feature selection and statistical integration methods suitable for the development of predictive and prognostic signatures.

Dr. Nicolas Goffard is Bioinformatics Scientist at Almac since 2009. He received his Ph.D. in Bioinformatics from the University of Bordeaux, France and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Australian National University. His current work includes the development of strategies for the automated integration of clinical information with functional genomics data and expression profiles in the oncology area.

Almac is focused on the delivery of biomarker solutions and supporting biomarker strategy for drug development and provides solutions from pre-clinical biomarker discovery to full companion diagnostic development.

Our expert team consists of medical oncologists, molecular biologists and expert bioinformaticians. We are focused on the discovery of biomarkers from our genomics based laboratories and the development of these into clinically applicable tests. Our key solutions are:

• Biomarker discovery
• Assay development
• Biomarker validation
• Companion Diagnostic development
• Bioinformatics Consultancy
• Genomic solutions

We have our own portfolio of proprietary tools designed for the discovery and development of biomarkers. The Xcel™ and Cancer DSA® arrays are based on the gold standard Affymetrix platform and are optimised with use with fresh frozen and FFPE tissue.

For more information please visit http://www.almacgroup.com/