EIT Health supported consortium myEDIT-B launches blood test that can differentiate bipolar disorder from depression

EIT Health has announced the launch of consortium myEDIT-B’s new blood diagnostic test in France to differentiate between depression and bipolar disorder. The EIT Health-supported consortium, led by ALCEDIAG, is now working to ensure the solution reaches more countries in Europe and beyond to help healthcare professionals improve the diagnostic outcomes for millions of people living with bipolar disorder. The test was launched on March 30, 2024, to mark World Bipolar Day.

The launch includes a short film, produced by EIT Health in collaboration with the EDIT-B consortium, to shed light on this solution. Featuring two women diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the film underscores how an earlier detection of the condition could have been lifechanging. Their story is part of EIT Health’s Spotlight series.

Research from myEDIT-B shows that the symptoms of bipolar disorder are often confused with depression, meaning that of the 300 million people currently diagnosed with depression, 40% could be misdiagnosed and potentially have bipolar disorder according to the company. Subsequently, because of this, the diagnostic delay can be as long as eight years.

Because medical treatment differs substantially between bipolar disorder and unipolar depression, inappropriate treatment can be harmful, with patients being at increased risk of developing comorbidities. Misdiagnosis can also negatively affect healthcare systems, the societal cost of just one-year’s delay in diagnosis is estimated at 50,000 EUR per patient in Europe.

myEDIT-B, which launched in Italy in 2023, two years earlier than originally anticipated, is now available in France thanks to consortium members SYNLAB’s network of laboratories.

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With no equivalent test on the market, according to EIT Health, the main objective of the myEDIT-B test is to provide objective biological data to help psychiatrists and physicians provide an accurate diagnosis that drastically reduces delays to within four weeks.

An accelerated diagnosis for patients would also allow them to access the right treatments sooner, and as bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, an earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan could play a substantial role in offering those diagnosed with a better quality of life, whilst also reducing the burden on healthcare systems.

“For me an earlier diagnosis would have meant everything because it would have saved me a very hard and very difficult stage of my life, the sooner you get the news you can start to get your life in order and that’s paramount for a person that is ill,” shared Isabel, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2009, and features in the film.

EIT Health says that EDIT-B has already undergone clinical validation in two studies on independent cohorts, and is CE IVD marked, boasting sensitivity and specificity rates above 80%.

Jean Marc Bourez, CEO of EIT Health said: “I am proud to see that, following its successful launch in Italy last year, two years ahead of schedule, the EDIT-B consortium, has now launched myEDIT-B in France. Led by our partner ALCEDIAG, a subsidiary of Alcen Group, with the rollout ably supported by SYNLAB, myEDIT-B is tackling the challenge of diagnosing bipolar disorder accurately and quickly. At the same time, they are supporting EIT Health’s main mission to help citizens live healthier and longer lives by putting the spotlight on mental health which is key to the proper care management and wellbeing of our communities.”

Alexandra Prieux, CEO of ALCEDIAG added: “EIT Health's role in EDIT-B's success cannot be overstated. They not only shared our vision for innovation but also provided unwavering support. The EIT Health network's strength enabled us to form a robust consortium with industrial partners like SYNLAB and clinicians like Professor Eduard Vieta and Professor Chantal Henry, whose collaboration extended beyond the project's initial scope to deliver this innovation to European citizens.

“Alcediag is in close contact with the community of psychiatrists, patient associations and patients, in order to understand their needs and try to respond to them as best as possible. In this regard, the ALCEDIAG is particularly interested in the response to treatment (antidepressant, mood stabilizer or antipsychotic) in adult patients suffering from mood disorders and is also in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.”

The EIT Health consortium members from across Europe: Alcediag, Alcen, Capital Region of Denmark, Fundació Clinic per la Recerca Biomèdica, Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, ProductLife Group, and Synlab. With a total budget of 5.2 million EUR, EDIT-B is co-funded by EIT Health (2.5 million EUR).