Analytical Testing
ONCOLOGY DIAGNOSTICS – Advancements Paving the Way for More Tailored Drugs
Divyaa Ravishankar, MS, says pharmaceutical companies have been subjected to a wide variety of external forces compelling them to get innovative about development of new platforms, liaise with new partners, leverage big data toward precision and predictive diagnosis, and identify new markers.
MDI CHARACTERIZATION – Closing the Gap Between In Vitro Test Data & the In-Use Performance for Metered Dose Inhalers
David A. Lewis, PhD, presents experimental data that shows how certain modifications to the Pharmacopoeial test methods used for MDIs may result in data that is more indicative of real-life performance, providing insight that can be used to enhance drug delivery characteristics.
ASSAY VALIDATION – Biomarker Assay Validations – A Time for Change?
John L. Allinson, FIBMS, believes despite the increased use of biomarkers, it appears that many researchers are still continuing to use the FDA guidance document for validation even though it only critically addresses the validation of assays to support PK evaluation, and also has a limited scope described within the document in terms of studies where it should be used.
SAMPLE PREPARATION MARKETS – Automation & Application Trends Drive Growth in Sample Preparation Markets
Christi Bird indicates sample preparation remains a critical task in many research and testing workflows across biopharmaceutical, basic research, clinical, and industrial applications. While the market lacks the hype and excitement of NGS, CRISPR/Cas9, or the microRNA and epigenetics boom several years ago, the sample preparation market will always be a slow and steady gainer on an already large market size.
AAV VECTOR MANUFACTURING – Challenges & Opportunities in the Manufacturing of AAV Vectors Used in the Delivery of Gene Therapy Treatments
Daniel C. Smith, PhD, indicates there remains a clear need for improved process productivities, and the need to develop manufacturing processes that can be applied to a wide number of AAV-based viral vector therapeutic candidates.
BIOMARKERS – FDA’s Design Control Requirements for Biomarkers in Drug Development
Kaiser J. Aziz, PhD, says the availability of validated biomarker-drug companion products will enable the molecular diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries to develop and rely on new genomic biomarkers in order to elucidate disease pathways, stratify patient populations, and monitor safe and effective use of these products.
SPECIAL FEATURE – Analytical Testing: Market Drivers, Growing Demand & Client Needs
Contributor Cindy H. Dubin spoke with several testing providers to find out what services they offer, trends they identify, and how they have specifically addressed clients’ needs throughout the past year.
DNA SEQUENCING MARKET – Emerging Technologies & Applications
Laurie L. Sullivan and John Bergin, MS, MBA, BCC Research Analysts, indicate that NGS has matured into an essential life science tool for genetic studies in a range of applications, and the industry is on the cusp of a second growth phase, powered by new applications in clinical diagnostics.
PARTICULATE IDENTIFICATION – Particle Identification for Improvement of Pharmaceutical Production
Kathryn A. Lee, PhD; Markus Lankers, PhD; and Oliver Valet, PhD, discuss various aspects with regard to microscopic particle counting, sizing, and identification using Raman, laser-induced breakdown, and IR spectroscopies, and how these techniques can help accurately identify particles.
PHARMACOLOGY MODELS – Early Phase Pharmacodynamic Models for Respiratory Drug Candidates
Robert Lins, MD, PhD, believes classical primary respiratory endpoints are far from successful in exploratory and confirmatory studies, and new techniques being developed have most potential in early phase, exploratory, clinical trials, but there may be the opportunity to apply at least some of them in the later stages of development.
EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT
Pacific Biosciences Announces a New Paradigm in DNA Sequencing
Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. recently announced major enhancements to its Sequel System, including a new version (6.0) of its software, new consumable reagents (3.0) and a new SMRT Cell (1M v3).
NEOMED-LABS Renews Strategic Agreement With GSK
Laval headquartered NEOMED-LABS, a global leader in the clinical immunology field, recently announced a 3-year extension of their strategic agreement with GSK, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer.