News

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Inc. or Labcorp LH recently launched a new blood test that detects phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217) — a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. Labcorp's pTau217 test is now available for physicians and use in clinical trials and research by global biopharmaceutical partners.

With the addition of pTau217 as a stand-alone test, Labcorp's portfolio of Alzheimer's tests has advanced significantly, enhancing its current range of blood-based biomarker testing.

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Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, is a major health concern worldwide. Alzheimer's disease affects an estimated 6.7 million Americans, with the number expected to more than quadruple to 13.8 million by 2060. The pTau217 marker has been utilized in Alzheimer's medication studies to follow individuals receiving anti-amyloid therapy.

The pTau217 test is a pivotal blood biomarker intended to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and the subsequent monitoring of patients undergoing treatment with new Alzheimer's disease therapies.

With this test, Labcorp has expanded its range of Alzheimer's tests. The other tests in the portfolio are the neurofilament light chain (NfL) and beta-amyloid 42/40 ratio tests, as well as the ATN Profile, which combines three blood indicators.

Significance of Launch

Beyond diagnostics, Labcorp plays a larger role in the healthcare sector as a drug research company that has helped the FDA approve new medications. With more than 67,000 workers, Labcorp provides services to customers in more than 100 nations and completed more than 600 million patient tests worldwide last year.

A major step forward in Labcorp's continuous commitment to improving testing capabilities throughout the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease is the launch of pTau217. The company is providing physicians and pharmaceutical companies additional resources for clinical trials, Alzheimer's disease detection and monitoring, and overall patient care by broadening its range of blood-based biomarker testing.

Industry Prospects

Per a report by Mordor Intelligence, the neurodegenerative disease market size is estimated at $55.12 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $77.82 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 7.14%. The major market growth factors include the rising prevalence of neurological disorders, increasing awareness among the global population, and a strong product pipeline for neurodegenerative disease treatment.

Peers Development Within Neurodegenerative Disease Test Offering

Companies like QIAGEN N.V. QGEN, Biogen Inc. BIIB and Quest Diagnostics, Inc. DGX are making significant progress with the addition of biomarker blood tests.

In January 2024, QIAGEN launched QIAGEN Biomedical KB-AI, a new generative AI-driven knowledge base designed to propel drug discovery in the pharma and biotech industries. This latest offering is designed for data scientists and bioinformaticians who are looking for the most comprehensive knowledge graphs to fuel data-driven drug discovery. QIAGEN Biomedical KB-AI identifies and extracts causal relationships between genes, diseases, drugs and other biological entities with AI, generating more than 600 million more biomedical relationships than its complement, QIAGEN Biomedical KB-HD. This expansive knowledge base helps data scientists understand disease mechanisms, identify drug targets or biomarkers and explore strategies for repurposing existing drugs.

In January 2024, Biogen announced plans to reprioritize its resources in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) -- a strategic therapeutic area expected to drive near and long-term growth. The company will continue to advance LEQEMBI (lecanemab-irmb), the first anti-amyloid beta treatment, with FDA traditional approval in the United States. It will accelerate the development of potential new treatment modalities, including its ASO targeting tau (BIIB080) and an oral small molecule inhibitor of tau aggregation (BIIB113).

In October 2023, Quest Diagnostics formed a strategic collaboration with Diadem SpA (Diadem) intended to improve access to high-quality blood tests for evaluating the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Per the agreement, Diadem has licensed exclusive U.S. rights to the intellectual property of its AlzoSure Predict blood-based prognostic technology to Quest Diagnostics for the purpose of developing, validating and marketing a laboratory-developed test service for providers and patients in the United States.

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