Model Reference Standards:

1. Logistical Advantages: Biomarkers are fast, cost-effective, and highly measurable compared to waiting years for survival outcomes. This accelerates drug iteration pipelines.

2. Pitfalls: A surrogate marker (e.g., cholesterol level) can improve while a side effect actually worsens overall patient mortality. It is critical to ensure that the chosen biomarker is causally and biologically verified in standard literature.