The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB), the professional arm of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, has acknowledged three posters on which scientists from Beckman Coulter Inc. collaborated with researchers on novel biomarker assays. This year, only 25 of the 820 posters accepted were presented with the NACB distinction.

“The work that these top investigators submitted reflects our commitment to continuous advances with novel markers and applications for our assay systems — and ultimately to improved patient outcomes,” said Kurtis Bray, PhD, director of clinical research in Beckman Coulter’s R&D Product Development Center. “We’re very proud of our scientists’ work and the energy and intelligence they bring to these collaborations.”

The awarded posters include:
   
•    Submitted by Jarolim, et al., a poster outlining a cPAPP-A assay that may, in the future, be used to recognize patients who have coronary plaques that put them at risk for adverse events at an earlier stage than can currently be determined using existing markers. Additionally, the researchers believe the assay may also be used to determine how to manage such patients.

•    Research conducted by Kavsak, et. al., successfully predicted adverse cardiac events, using a research version of Beckman Coulter’s troponin assay, when concentrations of TnI were at levels much lower than what is now considered to put patients at increased risk.

•    Presented by Roberts, et. al., researchers determined that using a combination of [-2]proPSA, PSA and Free PSA provided information that could enable physicians to evaluate prostate cancer risk from patient results, regardless of race and age, thus providing a more direct and specific management tool.

“This is quite an acknowledgment, given that less than 3% of this year’s accepted abstracts received such an honor,” said Bray. “The awards demonstrate Beckman Coulter’s presence and scientific excellence in key disease states such as cardiovascular and prostate disease.”