Better Diagnosis will result in Better Patient Outcomes
We know that better diagnosis will result in better patient outcomes.   Accurate and early diagnosis in acute care environments can significantly simplify decisions about patient management including whether to admit, discharge or to administer other time consuming, expensive and often inaccurate diagnostic tests including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.  Simple, rapid diagnostic tools will immensely facilitate allocation of the medical resources required to treat TBI and other brain injuries in military combat and civilian emergencies.

Banyan Biomarkers for Better Diagnosis
Banyan is uniquely qualified to develop better diagnostics that will result in better management and treatment of brain injury patients.

·        Powerful Discovery Platform
 Novel integration of insights into cell pathobiology and clinical utility closely linked to cutting edge, patented biochemical technologies including high-throughput proteomic capabilities. 

     Rapid biomarker screening and selection using preclinical validation, expediting early human clinical validation.

     Platform technologies applicable to diagnostics for other organ systems, such as the heart and liver.

·        Unmatched Biomarker Pipeline
Multiple (42+) unique, proprietary biomarkers in the development pipeline.

     Biomarkers selected to assist in identification of brain injury specificity, location and severity -- attributes that do not exist today.

Better Diagnosis will Yield Better Treatments
Banyan's scientific team has integrated breakthrough thinking and cutting edge technology to focus on the therapeutic opportunities created by biomarker discovery.

Frequently asked questions about Biomarkers and Traumatic Brain Injury:

1. What is traumatic brain injury (TBI) and why is it such a major civilian and military problem?

TBI results from the mechanical impact to the skull like that which occurs in a car accident or from penetrating injuries such as bullet wounds. TBI is often called "the silent epidemic" because few people recognize that more than 1.5 to 2 million people annually suffer TBI in the U.S. resulting in more than 230,000 hospitalizations, 50,000 deaths and 80,000 disabilities. TBI is the greatest cause of disability in young people under 24 years old. Currently, 5.3 million Americans live with TBI-related disabilities; compared with the more than 4 million disabled by Alzheimer's disease. More than 80% of TBIs are concussive injuries. Ninety percent of the 300,000 sports-related TBIs are concussions and often go unreported.

TBI is also one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality on the modern battlefield. Nearly half of all combat deaths result from injuries to the head, and these injuries are among the most frequent causes of persistent disability for survivors. U.S. casualties in Iraq may be suffering a greater percentage of brain injuries than in previous wars. Recent assessments have indicated that about 2/3 of casualties have brain injuries, and concussion is a growing military medical problem.

2. What happens when a TBI occurs and how is it currently treated?

Surprisingly, TBI often results more from secondary pathological biochemical responses than from the mechanical impact itself. Currently, there are no treatments for TBI. The best hope for patients suffering TBI is to receive careful medical management, an elusive goal in the absence of good markers for TBI or the obvious improvement or deterioration of the patient's condition. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons has established guidelines for management of TBI patients. Unfortunately, less than 50% of patients are managed according to these guidelines, resulting in poorer clinical outcomes. Development of markers of pathological biochemical events will revolutionize medical management of TBI and provide compelling medical and legal incentives for implementation of treatment guidelines.

3. How can the discovery of biochemical markers (biomarkers) of injury make a difference in treating TBI?

Development of valid biomarkers of TBI will have a major impact on diagnosis, management and treatment of brain injury patients. Accurate diagnosis in acute care environments can significantly simplify decisions about patient management including whether to admit, discharge or to administer other time consuming, expensive and often inaccurate diagnostic tests including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Similarly, triage is a major function of far-forward medical care in combat environments or during national disasters. Simple, rapid diagnostic tools will immensely facilitate allocation of the major medical resources required to treat TBI and other brain injuries in combat or following a national disaster.

Biomarkers could have important prognostic functions especially for patients suffering from mild TBI which make up an estimated 80% of individuals who suffer from life-long impairment as a result of TBI. Accurate identification of these patients will facilitate development of guidelines for return to work or sports activities and also provide opportunities for counseling of these patients suffering from these deficits.

The development of biomarkers will play an important role in discovery of therapies to treat TBI. Banyan has made a strong commitment to develop biomarkers that will be useful in identifying novel therapeutic targets for treatment of TBI. In addition, these markers will be extremely useful in the conduct of clinical trials to assess the efficacy of potential therapies to treat brain injury.

4. Why is Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. uniquely qualified to develop diagnostics for brain injury?

Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. was founded by individuals with a unique combination of skills that has made possible rapid development of novel and powerful biochemical markers of TBI. Banyan's research and development strategy involves early integration of insights into cell pathobiology and clinical utility closely linked to discovery platforms employing cutting edge biochemical technologies including high-throughput proteomic capabilities. Banyan is also able to rapidly screen potential biomarkers using laboratory studies in animals for preclinical assessments and proprietary technology to expedite early clinical validation in human TBI patients.

Unlike other diagnostic companies, Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. is focusing on diagnostics for trauma. Banyan has developed novel biomarkers that can provide important information on the severity of injury, the location of the injury in the brain and the biochemical mechanisms underlying this injury.

5. Can Banyan Biomarkers Inc. apply this technology to other types of injuries?

Traumatic injury to any organ in the body results in remarkably similar destructive biochemical cascades. The development of biochemical markers for injury to the brain will lay the foundation for rapid development of biochemical markers to other injured organs such as the heart, liver and lungs. Development of biochemical markers to other organs is an important clinical goal and market opportunity. Traumatic injury to a single organ rarely occurs in isolation, and multi-organ trauma is a major clinical problem. In fact, Banyan Biomarkers is currently developing a novel marker of cardiac injury.