May 10, 2022 – Amprion announces the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has awarded an additional research grant of approximately $730,000 for continued validation of the SYNTap Biomarker Test (total award: $1.6 million, grant number: 5U44NS111672-03).
The research funds will be used to validate the quantitative adaptation of the SYNTap Biomarker Test, which detects misfolded α-Synuclein aggregates, a hallmark of synucleinopathies including underlying synuclein pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), and Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
The company expects research results to provide breakthrough insights to help accelerate the innovation of precision medicine for neurodegenerative diseases.
Why is validated biomarker testing for brain diseases so important? Consider this: More than 50 million people worldwide are affected by neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s, Lewy Body Dementia, and Parkinson’s. This staggering number is rising, as 18 million new cases are added each year.
Historically, it has been challenging to diagnose different variants of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias. The overlapping symptoms, especially in the early stages, often cause misdiagnosis, hindering effective treatment plans.
“There is a critical need to develop biomarker tests that will aid accurate diagnosis for early detection and simultaneously speed the research and development of biomarker-targeted therapeutics,” remarked neuroscientist Claudio Soto, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and co-founder of Amprion. “While many biomarker tests have been proposed in the research community, very few can pass the rigorous process used to validate analytical and clinical usefulness. We are pleased to receive NINDS’ grant support to achieve these paramount objectives,” added Dr. Soto.
Upon receiving news on the research funding, Russ Lebovitz, MD, Ph.D., Amprion CEO, echoed, “A confident diagnosis helps doctors optimize personal treatment and management strategies. In addition, the advent of molecular testing sheds new light on R&D of biomarker-targeted drugs for precision medicine.”