Disclosure: Lifestyle Wealth Partners Pty Ltd and its advisers are authorised representatives of Fortnum Private Wealth Ltd ABN 54 139 889 535 AFSL 357306. General Advice Warning: Any information on this website is general advice and does not take into account any person's objectives, financial situation or needs. Please consider your own circumstances and consider whether the advice is right for you before making a decision. Always obtain a Product Disclosure Statement (If applicable) to understand the full implications and risks relating to the product and consider the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire the financial product.
A Scottish research firm is teaming up with a global leader in diagnostic technology for what is hoped to result in a “transformative” new blood test that would allow doctors to identify Alzheimer’s disease earlier.
Edinburgh-based Scottish Brain Sciences announced it is to collaborate with Roche Diagnostics on a series of major projects, which founder Professor Craig Ritchie said could have “big impacts”.
The work aims to provide a better understanding of the earliest biological changes of neurodegenerative disease using blood based bio-markers.
It comes as more recent evidence has suggested changes could take place in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients before symptoms of the disease are present.
And it is hoped that being able to characterise and detect theses changes could lead to accurate early diagnostic tests, potentially allowing for patients to get treatment sooner.
“Early detection of brain changes associated with the earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease through blood testing will be transformative in the way we assess, manage, and conceptualise clinically Alzheimer’s disease,” Ritchie said.
“It will open the door to interventions used very early in the course of disease that are better targeted than current treatments.
“There will be an expectation of big impacts on disease course and even prevention of the late-stage dementia syndromes associated with neurodegenerative disease.”
Dr Ashton Harper, director of medical affairs for Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland, said Alzheimer’s disease was the major cause of dementia, which is currently the leading cause of death in the UK.
Katrine Bussey
(Australian Associated Press)
