Measuring the chronology of the translational process of molecular genetic discoveries

Background The process of technology validation and transfer of new molecular diagnostic tests towards the clinic faces challenges and needs to be improved. There is no empirical measure of the chronology and pace of technology transfer of molecular genetic discoveries. Methods We studied these for 29 molecular genetic test discoveries in order to (1) provide estimates of the timeframe between discovery of a clinical application and complete clinical implementation, and (2) compare the trajectories between different new tests to identify common patterns. We identified 11 publicly available "timestamps" for the technology transfer process ranging from discovery of the marker to use in a clinical setting. For each test selected, we searched public databases to identify available timestamps and dates. We plotted and compared trajectories of individual tests, including chronology. Results We show that there is much variability in the chronology of transfer between biomarkers. The median time between discovery of the marker and availability of the clinical test was 9.5 years (minimum 1). There was a median time of 18 years between test discovery and FDA approval (minimum 7 years), and it took a median of 17 years between discovery and the availability of a certified reference material for the 10 assays that have one (minimum 9 years). Conclusions We conclude that new molecular genetic tests take significant time between discovery and clinical implementation, and that further work is needed to pinpoint key factors, including policy and organization factors, that may allow for improving and streamlining this process.