National Biomarker Development Alliance (NBDA) Information

The NBDA is an independent nonprofit (within the new Research Collaboratory at ASU) that is dedicated to meeting this challenge. Through trans-sector networks, the NBDA will create “standards” (inclusive of best practices, guidelines, standard operating procedures, etc.) to support new models of end-to-end biomarker development. The Alliance will integrate existing knowledge, and/or create new knowledge where needed, and make its data, processes, and standards publicly available. The NBDA was founded on the principle that de-convoluting the complexity of transitioning biomarkers from discovery through development and delivery to patients is ultimately achievable. Moreover, this collaborative knowledge network model must become a “movement” engaging the entire health care ecosystem if the vision for precision medicine is to become reality for all patients. The NBDA began as a question! “Could networks of organizations and individuals who will benefit from the successful development of biomarkers unite through a unique management construct to solve what has heretofore been an “unsolvable” problem?” Over the last 18 months the initial question has catalyzed the emergence of the NBDA; an organization committed to answering this question in the affirmative. Funded by ASU, the ASU Foundation, and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust and others that have provided planning and/or financial support, the NBDA has matured from concept to reality. Subsequently informed by several workshops involving large numbers of trans-sector groups of experts from across the biomarker discovery, development, and delivery continuum, inclusive of the FDA and the affected industries, the NBDA has achieved significant progress. Moreover, the NBDA was developed not just to relegate the current biomarker development processes to history, but also to serve as a working example of what convergence of purpose, scientific knowledge, and collaboration can accomplish.