C2N Diagnostics Partners with The Michael J. Fox Foundation to Uncover New Links Between Parkinson’s Disease, Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A respected organization acclaimed for their groundbreaking work with neurological diseases, C2N Diagnostics, LLC, is partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation For Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to better understand the connections amongst neurodegenerative conditions, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and neuronal a-synuclein disease (NSD), which encompasses Parkinson’s disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD) and REM behavior disorder (RBD).

Researchers say right now there’s limited existing data about the prevalence of biomarkers of AD and related dementias and neurodegeneration in the NSD patient population. MJFF’s grant of over $1.5 million to C2N will allow researchers to connect research fluid samples and novel fluid biomarker test results to better understand the interplay between the diseases.

The first phase of the initiative involves MJFF’s Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) using C2N’s PrecivityAD2™ blood test, which will aid researchers in their studies to detect amyloid plaques in the brain, a pathological hallmark of AD.

The researchers also will use C2N’s proprietary biomarker test that can measure the microtubule binding region of tau (MTBR-tau), which is specific for neurofibrillary “tau” tangles and can help diagnose and stage AD. In addition, the researchers will investigate how biomarkers of dementia and neurodegeneration change and impact NSD progression.

“Since its launch in 2010, The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) landmark observational study aims to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease to accelerate breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and prevention,” said Samantha Hutten, PhD, Vice President of Translational Research at MJFF. “We are excited to apply C2N’s analytically validated biomarker tests widely used in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research to the well characterized cohort of Parkinson’s biosamples in PPMI, to drive research forward and support clinical trials aimed at developing treatments for people living with Parkinson’s disease.”

Dr. Joel Braunstein, CEO of C2N Diagnostics, said, “We’re honored to work with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is making significant progress in designing a milestone-driven, innovative and high-risk model to identify and accelerate the idea of finding the cure for Parkinson’s disease. Our partnership is a pivotal example of how C2N is leveraging its leadership position with precision diagnostic tools for and beyond Alzheimer’s disease, and we look forward to additional opportunities.”

Braunstein adds that the partnership demonstrates C2N’s use of highly sensitive and state-of-the-art proprietary liquid-chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methodologies to identify and measure certain proteins that are found in the blood and that are central to the pathophysiology of neurological diseases such as AD. He highlights that C2N’s assays have been used in over 150 research studies throughout the U.S. and around the world.

About C2N Diagnostics, LLC

C2N Diagnostics is a specialty diagnostics company with a vision to bring Clarity Through Innovation®. C2N strives to provide exceptional clinical laboratory services and advanced diagnostic solutions in the field of brain health.

C2N’s high-resolution mass spectrometry-based biomarker services and products are used for: clinical decision-making to improve patient care, including diagnosis and treatment monitoring; maximizing the quality and efficiency of clinical trials that test novel treatments for neurodegeneration; and providing innovative tools to help healthcare researchers better understand novel mechanisms of disease, identify new treatment targets, and conduct important epidemiologic studies to improve global public health.

C2N assays have been used in over 150 Alzheimer’s disease and other research studies throughout the U.S. and the world. This includes landmark treatment and prevention trials involving disease-modifying therapies that are changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease. C2N has ongoing collaborations with multi-national pharmaceutical and biotech companies, leading academic institutions, National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, and other non-profits and consortiums. Over 30,000 Precivity™-related biomarker measures have been reported through peer-reviewed publications, with many more manuscripts currently under review.

C2N has partnered with numerous leading clinical diagnostic labs throughout the world to offer expanded Precivity™ testing access to providers and patients, including Unilabs primarily across Europe, Grupo Fleury in Brazil and Healius Pathology in Australia for clinical use, and with Mediford Corporation in Japan for research purposes. C2N also recently announced it entered into a non-exclusive agreement with Mayo Clinic Laboratories.

The company acknowledges generous support from National Institute on Aging, GHR Foundation, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association and BrightFocus Foundation. For more information visit www.C2N.com.

About The Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)

The Michael J. Fox Foundation launched PPMI in 2010 to better understand Parkinson's and advance new treatments. Since then, the study has changed how research is done and what scientists know about the brain. It is a cornerstone of our understanding of disease and has heavily influenced clinical trials. More than 1,500 participants enrolled in PPMI over its first decade at 33 sites around the world. Today, with more therapies in testing, PPMI has expanded to 51 clinical sites in 12 countries and plans to enroll more than 4,000 volunteers. PPMI has supported and enabled the field’s most recent transformative milestones, including the discovery and validation of a Parkinson’s biomarker, known as the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (αSyn-SAA), which recently received a “Letter of Support” from the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) encouraging researchers and drugmakers to use it as a critical tool to speed therapeutic development. The Letter of Support notes the vital role of the Foundation’s landmark clinical study in the discovery and validation of the long-sought biomarker. Advances in these tools across brain diseases, including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's and related dementias are moving the field further in its understanding of neurodegeneration, the underpinnings of pathology and possible treatment solutions. For more information on PPMI, please visit: michaeljfox.org/ppmi