Roche receives Breakthrough Device Designation from FDA for new Alzheimer's disease assays

Roche announced today,that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Device Designation to Elecsys^® ß-Amyloid (1-42) CSF and Elecsys^® Phospho-Tau (181P) CSF. These in vitro diagnostic immunoassays are for the measurement of the ß-Amyloid (1-42) and Phospho-Tau concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or other causes of dementia.

Currently, the diagnosis of AD is largely based on clinical symptoms, including cognitive testing, with a significant number of patients diagnosed when their disease has already advanced. A diagnosis of AD based on cognitive measures alone is only correct in 70 – 80 percent of cases. Measuring biomarkers with CSF immunoassays, associated with AD pathology, increases certainty of a diagnosis of AD and can help to evaluate the progression of the disease. The Breakthrough Device Designations are for indication of use with Elecsys β-Amyloid (1-42) CSF and Elecsys Phospho-Tau (181P) CSF in concordance with amyloid PET visual read result and risk of cognitive or functional decline. The Breakthrough Devices Program is a voluntary program for certain medical devices that provide for more effective treatment or diagnosis of a life-threatening or irreversibly debilitating disease or condition. This program is designed to expedite the development and review of these medical devices.

“We are excited about FDA’s recognition of the potential clinical benefit the Elecsys CSF assays can bring to clinicians, laboratories and their patients in diagnosing AD at an early stage,” said Roland Diggelmann, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “Roche was one of the first companies to use biomarkers in clinical trials and we will continue to explore high-performing diagnostic and disease-monitoring solutions.”