Foundation for the NIH, Annual Report 2007

The Biomarkers Consortium Established in late 2006, The Biomarkers Consortium last year solidified its membership base and launched its first two projects. This groundbreaking public-private partnership works to find and validate biological markers (biomarkers)—the critical first step in understanding disease processes and ultimately preventing, detecting, and treating them. A biomarker is a biological measurement or set of measurements that describes a physiological state. Blood pressure, for example, is a widely accepted biomarker for cardiovascular health. Lab tests and x-rays look for biomarkers to diagnose specific medical conditions or injuries. Biomarkers are also important in assessing the safety and effectiveness of drugs and therapies. Identifying, evaluating, and utilizing biomarkers can be a complex, time-consuming, and costly process—making a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach imperative. The Foundation for NIH is uniquely positioned within the biomedical community to create and manage such a partnership. Four steering committees focused on distinct disease areas—cancer, inflammation and immunity, metabolic disorders, and neuroscience—guide the group’s work. Each comprises dozens of experts from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, academia, and advocacy groups. The consortium’s first two projects are designed to determine whether a promising imaging technology, FDG-PET, can measure the effectiveness of conventional cytotoxic drugs against two types of tumors—lymphoma and lung cancer. Conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the studies could have enormous impact on patients’ case management and accelerate drug development. The foundation so far has raised $6.43 million from nine privatesector donors for these projects, while NCI has committed public funds and in-kind contributions totaling $3.75 million. Upcoming projects will address biomarkers associated with type II diabetes and atherothrombosis. Other studies under consideration focus on Alzheimer’s disease, metastatic tumors, and rheumatoid arthritis. The consortium’s founding members include NIH, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); other significant partners include Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), and a dozen major pharmaceutical companies. www.biomarkersconsortium.org 4 | 2007 ANNUAL REPORT http://www.biomarkersconsortium.org http://www.biomarkersconsortium.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Foundation for the NIH, Annual Report 2007

Foundation for the NIH, Annual Report 2007 Contents Letter from the Chairman and Executive Director Year in Review The Biomarkers Consortium Osteoarthritis Initiative - OAI Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative - ADNI Genetic Association Information Network - GAIN Grand Challenges in Global Health - GCGH Comprehensive T Cell Vaccine Immune Monitoring Consortium - CTC-VIMC Global Health Security Initiative - GHSI Collaborative Summit on Breast Cancer Research AVON-NCI Progress for Patients Awards Program Targeted Cancer Therapies Tutorials Measures for Clinical Trials of Treatment of Congnition Clinical Research Training Program - CRTP Program Listing Edmond J. Safra Family Lodge Endowments Fiancial Summary Donors Board of Directors Advisory Boards Staff

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