Quanterix and ADDF partner to develop Alzheimer's early detection test
Quanterix Corporation, a company digitising biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health, has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to accelerate development of a multi-analyte plasma test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.
As part of the partnership, the ADDF will fund a series of prospective clinical trials to validate the test in collaboration with Amsterdam University Medical Centers (Amsterdam UMC). Charlotte Teunissen, professor and principal clinical investigator, will lead the clinical trials at Amsterdam UMC. The work will be coordinated through the company’s Simoa Accelerator Services Lab, a flagship laboratory providing contract research services and clinical sample testing, powering the research of more than 400 companies and accelerating drug approval timelines through the detection of biomarkers at the lowest possible levels.
Kevin Hrusovsky, chairman and chief executive officer, Quanterix and founder of Powering Precision Health (PPH), said: “The ADDF is a well-established philanthropic organisation with a strong leadership position in the field and we look forward to partnering with them in our quest to validate a Simoa plasma test for Alzheimer’s disease. We are pleased to receive ADDF funding aimed at accelerating development of a multi-analyte test, as Alzheimer’s disease continues to be one of the largest threats to global public health, with an enormous economic toll. It’s now more important than ever to develop highly accessible diagnostic tests to aid in linking Alzheimer’s patients with emerging therapies at the earliest onset of disease.”
Charlotte Teunissen, Professor and Principal Investigator at Amsterdam UMC, added: “We are in a historic moment with plasma-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease detection nearing clinical implementation. This partnership and funding with the ADDF will help further drive the rapid progress in this area just in time for the arrival of new therapeutics. We will be looking to validate the Simoa multi-analyte test for use in both memory care and primary care settings, in persons with worries about their cognition.”
The mission of the ADDF is to rapidly accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Founded in 1998 by Leonard A. and Ronald S. Lauder, the ADDF is the only public charity solely focused on funding the development of drugs for Alzheimer’s disease. Through the support of its donors, the ADDF has awarded more than $209 million to fund over 690 Alzheimer’s drug discovery programs, biomarker programs and clinical trials in 19 countries.
Howard Fillit, co-founder and chief science officer of the ADDF, said: “We have long believed the path to approved Alzheimer’s treatments starts with a better way to diagnose patients and monitor their response to therapy. Through the Diagnostics Accelerator, the ADDF is accelerating the development of novel biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, which are essential to driving research forward, allowing us to enrol the right patients in clinical trials and track their progress. Cutting-edge diagnostic tools like the multi-analyte blood test being developed by Quanterix also have the potential to greatly improve accuracy and facilitate early diagnosis in clinical practice.”