Biological data warehouses helps speed up drug development, researchers say

Researchers claim biorepository will help speed up drug development

Drawing on patient information from a biological data warehouse has the potential to speed up drug development and cut costs, according to researchers from the Moffitt Cancer Center in the US.

The team has developed the Total Cancer Care Protocol to enable patients and partners to donate excess tumour tissue and biological samples for research.

After the samples are analysed for biomarkers and other unique qualities, they are stored in a biorepository for future use.

Researchers also benefit from being able to use the database to quickly determine which patients would be best for a phase II cancer clinical trial, basing their decisions on the candidates' biological and molecular profiles.

"By taking a systems approach, biomarker and genetic profile information not only enables personalised medicine, but also promotes comparative effectiveness research," commented Dr Benjamin Craig, co-author of the study published in Statistical Methods in Medical Research.

He added that the contribution of a data warehouse that integrates clinical, biospecimen and molecular data for conducting clinical trials was essential for making good decisions about resource allocation.