Biomarkers for biopharma program will offer a range of services and tools.

Drug development services firm Almac launched its biomarkers for biopharma services to help clients establish biomarker strategies as part of their drug development process. The new initiative combines pharmacodynamic solutions, patient selection markers, assay development, and bioinformatics/biostatistics consultancy services. The services will exploit Almac’s existing expertise in the biomarker discovery field, including its Xcel™ array platform for biomarker discovery, which it launched in June.

Almac comprises five integrated divisions offering services spanning R&D, biomarker discovery and development, API manufacture, formulation development, clinical trial supply and technology, and commercial-scale manufacture. The firm’s expertise in biomarkers is being commercialized through partnerships for the development of companion diagnostics, pharmacodynamic biomarkers, prognostic tests, and drug repositioning. 

In June Almac teamed up with Aeterna Zentaris in a collaboration that aims to develop a companion diagnostic for the latter’s doxorubicin luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone targeted conjugate compound, AEZS-108. During April Almac announced a partnership with Merck KGaA and the U.K.’s Medical Research Council to investigate the development of biomarkers of response to Erbitux®

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