Diagnostics and biomarker development: priming the pipeline

Abstract

The decrease in the rate at which novel medical products are reaching the market, despite major scientific achievements and investment that might have predicted otherwise, is causing much concern. Although this 'pipeline problem' has often been discussed in the context of drug development, it is also crucial to examine the unique characteristics of the pipeline for biomarkers and diagnostics. Here, we characterize the pipeline problem for biomarkers and diagnostics, and consider what steps could be taken to solve it.