Grifols, a global healthcare company and leading producer of plasma-derived medicines, today announced it has received a grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to identify plasma-based biomarkers that could indicate a person’s likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) many years before clinical diagnosis. The initiative, called “Chronos-PD,” could accelerate the discovery of new diagnostic tools as well as the identification and development of novel disease-modifying therapeutics.
PD affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 6 million people worldwide. It occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Despite decades of research and treatment advancement, the understanding of the drivers of the disease remains limited.
Today physicians use a combination of a person’s medical history, physical examination and brain imaging tests to diagnose PD. By the time the disorder is detected, it is often too late to slow its progression much less reverse the damage. This leaves early detection biomarkers as one of the most urgent needs for making further headway in therapeutic interventions to halt if not reverse the disease before it is too late.
The $21 million award will fund a pilot study to analyze longitudinal plasma samples covering a period of up to 10 years. This will enable researchers to track how distinct plasma proteins evolve over time in people with PD, which could help establish an early-warning system for the emergence of the disease.
Grifols’ repository of PD plasma samples is just a fraction of the more than 100 million samples the company has collected for nearly 15 years. Its proprietary bank is one of the world’s largest collections of biospecimens and contains plasma representing thousands of disease states, all connected to real-world health data. The same analyses applied to the PD samples can be replicated in other diseases and disease states across many therapeutic areas.
The unique plasma assets serve as the foundation of the Chronos-PD program, driving advanced research at Grifols subsidiary Alkahest, which is leading the initiative given its specialization in the use of AI and integrative analysis of multiomics and real-world data in diagnostic and therapeutic drug discovery.
“Our groundbreaking initiative leverages Grifols’ one-of-a-kind storehouse of well-preserved plasma samples, the most comprehensive technology platforms and our unique plasma proteomics expertise,” said Dr. Jörg Schüttrumpf, Grifols Chief Scientific Innovation Officer. “Going back in time to search for the earliest signs of PD, even before symptoms appear, has potential to revolutionize PD management. The hope is to accelerate and ultimately develop new diagnostics and disease-modifying therapeutics that could mitigate or even prevent the condition from manifesting itself. Our vision is that this platform continues to grow in terms of knowledge, partnerships and its ability to help society advance in fighting some of the world’s most pressing public health challenges.”
At MJFF, our mission is to accelerate breakthroughs for people living with Parkinson’s by funding diverse and innovative approaches. Identifying reliable biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease is essential to unlocking earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments. Grifols’ research on a plasma-based biomarker to detect PD at its earliest stage — before progression begins — aims to helps us understand the biology of individuals who may be at risk and paves the way for transformative breakthroughs in care and prevention.”
Shalini Padmanabhan, senior vice president of translational research, MJFF
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