With the discovery of new biomarkers increasingly fuelling new diagnostics and treatments – most notably in Alzheimer’s Disease – Michael Miller explains how both publicly and privately funded research have vital roles to play.
What have been the major advancements in biomarker detection in recent years?
Biomarkers are playing an increasingly important role in today’s clinical trials. Initially used to indicate the presence of a disease, biomarkers have evolved into essential tools in pharmaceutical research, used to monitor disease progression and assess therapeutic efficacy. In this context, biomarkers are no longer just tools for diagnosis but are critical to determining the effectiveness of treatments and therapies.
Clinicians have traditionally relied on symptoms of cognitive decline to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Physicians often report low confidence when diagnosing based on symptoms alone. Additionally, the disease has already likely caused irreversible brain damage when symptoms allow clearer differentiation. Recently validated blood-based biomarkers enable clinicians to confidently determine a diagnosis without requiring multiple confirmation tests, saving precious time on the patient treatment journey.
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