Report
Note: Workshop Summaries contain the opinion of the presenters, but do NOT reflect the conclusions of the IOM. Learn more about the differences between Workshop Summaries and Consensus Reports.
Biomarkers can be defined as indicators of any biologic state, and they are central to the future of medicine. Biomarkers can indicate normal biological processes, or they can indicate abnormal or diseased processes. They can measure a response to drugs or the effectiveness of a medical treatment, and they can reveal whether individuals and populations are more likely to respond to certain treatments. Of course, biomarkers also have limitations; a single biomarker must be considered only one part of a much larger and more complex biological system that, on its own, cannot provide a clear picture of cause and effect.
As the cost of developing drugs has risen in recent years, reducing the number of new drugs approved for use, biomarker development may be a way to cut costs, enhance safety, and provide a more focused and rational pathway to drug development. On October 24, 2008, the IOM’s Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation held “Assessing and Accelerating Development of Biomarkers for Drug Safety,” a one-day workshop on the value of biomarkers in helping to determine drug safety during development. Participants in the meeting assessed the current methods of determining unintended effects early in drug development, addressed obstacles to the development of biomarkers for drug safety, and discussed how to accelerate the development of biomarkers through public and private means.
Other Reports by this Activity
Displaying: 3 of 14 Reports
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Strengthening a Workforce for Innovative Regulatory Science in Therapeutics Development - Workshop Summary
The development and application of regulatory science – which FDA has defined as the science of developing new tools, standards, and approaches to assess the safety, efficacy, quality, and performance of FDA-regulated products – calls for a well-trained, scientifically engaged, and motivated workforce. FDA faces challenges in retaining regulatory scientists and providing them with opportunities for professional development. In the private sector, advancement of innovative regulatory science in drug development has not always been clearly defined, well coordinated, or connected to the needs of the agency. As a follow-up to a 2010 workshop, the IOM held a workshop on September 20-21, 2011, to provide a format for establishing a specific agenda to implement the vision and principles relating to a regulatory science workforce and disciplinary infrastructure as discussed in the 2010 workshop.
Released: December 21, 2011
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Public Engagement and Clinical Trials: New Models and Disruptive Technologies - Workshop Summary
Clinical trials provide essential information needed to turn basic medical research findings into patient treatments. New treatments must be studied in large numbers of humans to find out whether they are effective and to assess any harm that may arise from treatment. There is growing recognition among many stakeholders that the U.S. clinical trials enterprise is unable to keep pace with the national demand for research results. The IOM, along with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, held a workshop June 27-28, 2011, to engage stakeholders and experts in a discussion about possible solutions to improve public engagement in clinical trials.
Released: October 14, 2011
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Advancing Regulatory Science for Medical Countermeasure Development - Workshop Summary
Whether or not the United States has safe and effective medical countermeasures—such as vaccines, drugs, and diagnostic tools—available for use during a disaster can mean the difference between life and death for many Americans. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the scientific community at large could benefit from improved scientific tools and analytic techniques to undertake the complex scientific evaluation and decision making needed to make essential medical countermeasures available. At the request of FDA, the IOM held a workshop to examine methods to improve the development, evaluation, approval, and regulation of medical countermeasures.
Released: June 15, 2011
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