The Biomarker Summit 2015, to be held on March 18-20, 2015 in San Diego, CA at the Westin San Diego Hotel, is a meeting place for leaders in the field to discuss the issues and challenges scientists and researchers face in all aspects of the biomarker and diagnostic development process from discovery to translation to commercialization.

A wide variety of important topics will be covered including biomarker identification, validation, and translation strategies, bioinformatics and systems biology approaches to personalized medicine, big data analytics and management, regulatory and reimbursement trends, companion diagnostics development, and much more. Through scientific presentations, case studies and panel discussions, these areas will be addressed in an intimate and highly interactive environment with perspectives from industry, academia and the public sector.

Assembling leading scientists, researchers, decision-makers and other players across the industry spectrum, the Summit provides a unique opportunity to gain the latest biomarker developments in three major therapeutic areas, formally organized in the following tracks:

General Sessions (Joint):
I. Plenary Keynote Session
II. Big Data Analytics for Biomarkers Development
III. Novel Technologies in Biomarker Development
IV. Overcoming Challenges of Clinical Validation & Translation
V. Panel Discussion: Companion Diagnostics Development & Partnering Strategies
VI. Panel Discussion: Non-profits Perspectives on Biomarkers
VII. Panel Discussion: Regulatory & Reimbursement Trends in Biomarker Development

8th Oncology Biomarkers
I. Liquid Biopsy: Non Invasive Approaches to Diagnostics
II. Digital & Molecular Pathology
III. Emerging Discovery Pipelines
IV. ImmunoOncology Biomarker Discovery

4th Neurological Biomarkers
I. Imaging Approaches in CNS Drug Discovery & Development
II. CSF & Blood Based Biomarker Approaches
III. Developments in Neurological & Neurodegenerative Disorders
IV. Biomarker Development in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

4th Inflammatory / Immunological Biomarkers
I. Biomarkers of Early Progressive Inflammatory & Immunological Diseases
II. Biomarkers & Surrogate Endpoints for Clinical Trials in Inflammatory Diseases
III. Novel Approaches to Immunological Biomarkers
IV. Fluid Based Biomarker Approaches (Synovial, Salivary, Urine)

https://www.gtcbio.com/conferences/biomarkers-summit-overview

In 2009, EFMC launched a series of short courses aimed to favour cultural and scientific growth of the medicinal chemistry community and organized with affordable fees for participation. EFMC will continue the tradition in 2015, and is pleased to announce the following courses:

10th EFMC Short Course on Medicinal Chemistry
Small-Molecule Modulation of Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs)

Oegstgeest (near Leiden), The Netherlands - April 12-15, 2015

This intensive course is intended for scientists working in the field, and the presentations will be given by senior scientists from industry and academia. The number of participants will be limited to 35, to favour in depth discussion.

COURSE OUTLINE
Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) lie at the heart of almost every physiological process and every disease. With a recently estimated number of 300,000 in humans, the possibilities for therapeutic intervention are significantly larger compared to ‘classical’ drug targets. While this potential is up to now largely untapped, some successful examples have shown that PPIs can be modulated by drug-like small molecules, natural products and peptides.

Specific features of PPIs as drug targets - in comparison to conventionally addressing e.g. enzymes - will be discussed, followed by a broad overview of the field, techniques to discover modulators of PPIs,  and - in more detail - a number of case studies on successful PPI intervention will be presented. Speakers include a selection of top-scientists active in the field of PPI, both from industry and academia.

Course Organisers
Christian OTTMANN and Luc BRUNSVELD (TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

Local Organiser
Henk TIMMERMAN (VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Registration fee
€1.475 – including accommodation, breakfast, coffee breaks, lunches and dinners during the 3 days of the course

More information on registration can be found on www.efmcshortcourses.org

Screening Europe is back! After a break of four years during which we covered screening topics within the European LabAutomation event, SELECTBIO is delighted to re-introduce this popular conference.

Hot topics to be covered include 3D cell based screening methods, the use of model organisms, and novel approaches for data analysis. Focus will also be given to the evolving use of phenotypic screening. Attending this event will provide you with excellent opportunities for networking with like minded peers, helping you to find solutions and build collaborations.

Running alongside the conference will be an exhibition covering the latest technological advances and associated services from leading solution providers within this field. Registered delegates will also have access to the co-located Discovery Chemistry Congress, ensuring a cost effective trip.

https://selectbiosciences.com/conferences/index.aspx?conf=SE2015

Pipeline Candidates Being Formulated for Subcutaneous Delivery Proliferating according to Greystone Research Associates

(Amherst, NH) – The administration of therapeutic antibodies is becoming an increasingly important healthcare treatment option for a growing number diseases and indications having broad implications for patient health and well-being. But to fully exploit the value of this class of therapeutics in both human and commercial terms, developers must successfully navigate the inherent limitations of antibody storage and administration, moving away from antibody infusion and toward injection as a route of administration.

Because of factors related to antibodies and to biological drugs as a class – factors that include temperature sensitivity and high viscosity – formulating therapeutic antibodies for injection presents several challenges. To circumvent these restrictive qualities, early recombinant antibodies that began to appear in the late 1990’s were initially formulated and supplied in vials for reconstitution prior to infusion. Antibody drug products indicated for chronic conditions such as autoimmunity were then often re-formulated, re-packaged and re-labeled into injectable form and re-introduced two to three years later to address the growing economic pressure and patient desire to avoid the need for out-patient infusion in favor of self-injection.

Evolution in antibody design, production, downstream processing and formulation have reached the point where introducing therapeutic antibody drugs in injectable form beginning with the initial drug filing is now possible and even becoming commonplace. More than two dozen mid-to-late stage clinical pipeline antibodies are being developed as subcutaneous formulations. This trend represents opportunities for device developers and challenges for drug marketers. The result will be growing competition, evolving options for product differentiation and the need to increasingly incorporate direct-to-consumer initiatives into product marketing plans.

The evolving therapeutic antibody landscape is detailed in a new and comprehensive report researched and written by Greystone Research Associates. Self-Administered Therapeutic Antibodies to 2020 analyzes the global market for therapeutic antibodies in three areas: approved injectables, transitioning infusion-to-injectable antibodies, and pipeline therapeutic antibodies. The report also analyzes demand drivers, development factors, market considerations, and strategic and economic factors, and provides profiles of market sector participants.

More information is available at http://www.greystoneassociates.org

About Greystone

Greystone Research Associates is a medical technology consulting firm focused on the areas of medical market strategy, product commercialization, venture development, and market research. We assist medical and healthcare market participants in achieving their business objectives through the creation of detailed development strategies, product commercialization programs, and comprehensive market and technology research and analysis. Our market research publications are designed, researched and written to provide timely and insightful information and data on focused market segments, with the aim of providing market participants with the essential knowledge to refine and execute their marketing plans and financial targets.

We invite you to the attend the Pan-Omics Summit, which will take place May 21 – 22, 2015 in Boston, MA at the Hyatt Regency. This summit has four parallel tracks to discuss the developments and challenges in the popular omics areas of epigenomics, metabolomics, functional genomics, and next generation sequencing. Representatives from big pharma, academic institutions, and government research labs will present data on advances in new technology and case studies on therapeutic targets, molecular diagnostics, and integration of complex data.

The Pan-Omics Summit is comprised of 4 parallel conferences:

5th Next Generation Sequencing

1. Current and Emerging Sequencing Technologies
   II. Metagenomics and the Microbiome
   III. Leveraging Big Data for Biomedical Discoveries and Applications
   IV. Clinical Diagnostic Sequencing
   V. RNA Sequencing
   VI. Single Cell Genomics
   VII. How Information and Technology get into the Clinic

2nd Metabolomics-Advances & Applications in Human Disease

1. Advances in Metabolite Markers
   II. Metabolite Identification – Targets and Pathways
   III. Computational Approaches to Assessing the Metabolome
   IV. Technological Advances in Metabolomics
   V. Clinical Applications of Metabolomics

Epigenomics & Novel Therapeutic Targets

1. Transcriptional Regulation
   II. Novel Therapeutic Targets and Discovery
   III. Pre-Clinical to Clinical Drug Development
   IV. New Technological Advances
   V. Epigenomic Biomarkers and DiagnosticsÂ
   VI. Neurological Disorders and Other Diseases

Functional Genomics

1. Genomic Variation as a Predictor of Protein-protein and Protein Drug Interactions
   II. Molecular Diagnostics & Therapeutic Applications for Complex Diseases
   III. Transcriptome Profiling and Genome Regulation by mRNAs, microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs
   IV. Approaches for Analysis and Integration of Complex Data
   V. Genome Wide Mutagenesis and Phenotypic Analysis
   VI. Challenges in Target Validation
   VII. Prospects for Epigenomic-based Drug Discovery

https://www.gtcbio.com/conferences/pan-omics-summit-overview