US-based biotechnology company Biogen has teamed up with diagnostics companies Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio to develop and market potential new tests for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
The partnership aims to identify and develop blood-based biomarkers for tau pathology in the brain, and clinically advance potential new tests for tau pathology in AD.
Under the collaboration, Biogen will provide Alzheimer’s clinical study data and expertise in biomarker research to prioritise markers for tau pathology.
Fujirebio and Beckman Coulter will be responsible for diagnostic development, manufacturing and commercialising the new tests.
Biogen research head Jane Grogan said: “Stratifying and monitoring patients for tau pathology is a growing need for the next generation of Alzheimer’s therapies, such as our pipeline of investigational tau-targeting therapies, including tau-directed ASO.
“Through this collaboration, we plan to leverage our deep scientific expertise in the development and use of biomarkers, combined with our partners’ capabilities in diagnostics, to potentially accelerate the development timeline for blood-based diagnostics that can measure a patient’s levels of tau pathology.”
The tau-specific blood-based biomarkers, which can measure a patient’s tau burden, will provide critical insights into the underlying pathological processes of AD.
The blood-based biomarkers may also help advance the development of a new generation of therapies that impact tau pathology.
Under the collaboration, the companies will work to identify new blood-based biomarkers and advance known blood-based biomarkers for tau pathology in AD.
The partnership aims to develop and clinically advance new tools that measure brain tau pathology to distinguish patients or monitor treatment response in AD clinical trials.
The tau-specific blood-based biomarkers and diagnostic tools could be used beyond clinical trials, in clinical practice to promote future therapies impacting tau pathology.
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics senior vice president and chemistry and immunoassay Kathleen general manager Orland said: “Collaborative efforts between Biogen, Beckman Coulter and Fujirebio combine the strength of leading-edge biomarker development with innovative potential treatments focused on the tauopathy aspect of neurodegeneration, driving us closer to effective solutions.”
Fujirebio Diagnostics president and CEO Monte Wiltse said: “This partnership will further help us accelerate our efforts to develop novel neurodegenerative disease diagnostics and deliver them to laboratories and clinicians around the world via our global diagnostics partners, addressing the unmet medical need for blood-based biomarkers.”
Earlier this year, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics and Fujirebio expanded their partnership to develop, manufacture, and clinically adopt neurodegenerative disease assays.
