Abstract

Point of Care Diagnostics in Personalized Medicine

Edith Schallmeiner, Global Team Director - NPT, Novartis

Driven by technology and scientific Innovation we have seen an exponential increase in identified disease targets over the last decades. These innovations have allowed medicine to move from observational science practices in the last centuries to a science capable of modifying disease mechanism on the molecular level. Our increased understanding has built the basis for the development of new and effective therapies. Personalized Healthcare is not a new concept but dates back centuries with some prominent examples such as Reuben Ottenberg blood transfusion compatibility testing developed early 1900. More recently. in 2003, Imatinib was launched as one of the first targeted therapies developed, doubling 4-year survival rates of CML patients. Imatinib was also one of the first examples of how the identification of subgroups of patients helped to optimize treatment for patients most likely to benefit. The development of drug therapies and diagnostics is a complex process. 85% of all diagnostic tests are performed in a laboratory environment providing reliable results within hours or days from a variety of samples. The implementation of new diagnostics in routine clinical practice is often a complex process driven by clinical data, the development of central lab IVD test and only later in the life of the marker are point of care diagnostics test developed. Point of care diagnostics can bring quick and reliable results not only for highly urgent tests but also for improved patient management in a decentralized care settings for a variety of complementary diagnostics. Today, Point of care diagnostics cover a comparably small portion of existing markers, driven by the historic lack of available technologies with acceptable performance and barriers in access to POC devices. Especially novel or less frequently used markers are often not targets for point of care developments.