Patent on Biomarkers in Medical Research: A Focus on Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Identification of putative biomarkers is a need of modern society today. Biomarker measures a biological or pathogenic process that can predict disease prognosis. It is important for monitoring drug safety, identification of individuals who are most likely to respond to specific treatments, stratification of presymptomatic patients and quantification of treatment benefits. The peripheral blood based identification of biomarkers or disease signatures from psychiatric patients possesses an immense potential towards drug developmental process. Biomarkers have been used as an early diagnostic tool for neuropsychiatric disorders. Identification of potential biomarkers of psychiatric disorders has become most important when it comes to biological psychiatry related research area. Patent provides a legal protection given to a new invention which gives the holder exclusive right to use or sell the patented product. Hence, deep understanding towards patent system is important as it protects novel research outputs that may lead to invention of new drugs. The present review describes patents, its methods and validations focused on peripheral biomarkers including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), plasma, serum and various neuropsychiatric disorders.