Quanterix Corp, Lexington, Mass, will join forces with UmanDiagnostics AB, Umeå, Sweden, to provide commercial access to an ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) assay for the detection of neurofilament light (Nf-light) in blood specimens.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are debilitating conditions that are currently incurable. Such diseases typically result in progressive neurodegeneration that may start 20 to 30 years before any clinical symptoms are noticed.
Developing specific, sensitive, and predictive biomarkers is one of the major challenges for establishing treatment regimens for such neurodegenerative diseases. The major obstacle is the absence of highly sensitive and reliable tools capable of measuring the gradient difference of molecules in the bloodstream at a presymptomatic stage. Many of the critical biomarkers related to neurological health, including Nf-light, are not present in the blood in high enough concentrations to be detected with today’s standard assay technologies.
Niklas Norgren, PhD, UmanDiagnostics.
The Simoa digital health solution by Quanterix provides researchers the ability to closely examine critical biomarkers simultaneously, in a sensitive and reliable manner. The strategic partnership between Quanterix and UmanDiagnostics will provide researchers and clinicians with commercial access to an assay designed to improve detection and diagnostic capabilities in neurology.
“We are extremely pleased to be working closely with Quanterix to provide Uman’s highly specific Nf-light antibodies for use in the Simoa assay format,” says Niklas Norgren, PhD, CEO of UmanDiagnostics. “The Simoa Nf-light assay is capable of detecting this highly informative neuronal damage biomarker directly in blood, enabling simplified assessment of a variety of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis—and potentially a critical way to access concussion-related neurological issues.”
Kevin Hrusovsky, Quanterix.
“Our collaboration with UmanDiagnostics will provide critical, commercial availability of our Simoa-based assay, which can detect and quantify Nf-light in blood,” says Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO and executive chairman of Quanterix. “We look forward to advancing research with this sensitive assay and uncovering groundbreaking discoveries in neurology disease.”
For more information, visit Quanterix and UmanDiagnostics.
