Agreement to develop diagnostic assays for Alzheimer’s disease
Posted: 28 March 2012 | | No comments yet
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Meso Scale Discovery have entered an agreement…
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Meso Scale Discovery today announced they have entered an agreement to develop diagnostic assays that will measure cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for use in Alzheimer’s disease research.
Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will develop these assays based on the Meso Scale Discovery® MULTI-ARRAY technology platform. Meso Scale Discovery will commercialize the assays for Alzheimer’s disease research and drug development, and plans to release the assays in the second quarter of 2012. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“The collaboration with Meso Scale Discovery demonstrates Bristol-Myers Squibb’s commitment to advancing the science of Alzheimer’s disease research,” said Jane Tiller, vice president, Global Clinical Research, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “These assays could provide the Alzheimer’s disease research community with an important tool to help advance understanding of this complex and devastating disease and may lead to advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.”
“This partnership fits perfectly into our mission of developing novel biomarkers tests for use in research and diagnostics,” said Jacob Wohlstadter, President and CEO of Meso Scale Discovery. “Bristol-Myers Squibb is a leader in the field of Alzheimer’s disease research and brings a clinical development perspective that pairs well with our experience in developing high-quality assays.”
About Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that impairs memory, interferes with thinking and ultimately destroys the ability of an individual to carry out simple tasks. The disease is a continuum, with damage to the brain starting long before the onset of dementia. Alzheimer’s affects 24 million people worldwide and the prevalence is projected to significantly increase over the coming decades due to the aging population. While there are medicines available to help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, there remains a significant unmet medical need for therapies that slow or prevent the progression of underlying disease.
