Majority of pharma firms have in-house companion diagnostics staff

Many companies now have people working full-time on companion diagnostics for use alongside targeted therapies.

The majority of pharmaceutical companies now view some level of internal personnel for companion diagnostics as essential, a survey has found.

Researchers at Cutting Edge Information questioned companies about their involvement with the development of companion diagnostics, which are used to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from an individual product.

The need for companion diagnostics is growing with the increasing trend for targeted therapies and personalised medicine.

Results from the survey indicate that almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of pharmaceutical companies now have in-house teams working on companion diagnostics, with the average firm employing 22 full-time employees in this area.

This is despite the fact that many still rely heavily on partner companies to develop these diagnostic tools.

"Of course, the number of full-time employees dedic