SYNAPS Dx (SDx) a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), recognizes June 2023 Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month as an opportunity to raise awareness about brain disorders, including AD and other dementias, and the need for more accurate diagnostic tools. The DISCERN™ diagnostic test assesses factors closely related to the formation of synaptic connections in the brain as well as the formation of amyloid plaque and abnormal tau. Synaptic connections are lost as cognitive functions decline, even early in AD. Amyloid plaques and abnormal tau are the pathologic hallmarks in the brain at autopsy that, together with dementia, definitively identify those patients with AD.
Dr. Daniel Alkon, chief scientific advisor, SDx says, “The AD community must look for solutions to answer the need for accurate and readily accessible diagnostic tools, as 50% to 70% of symptomatic AD patients are not correctly diagnosed in primary care. Accurate diagnoses first require routine cognitive screenings with validated psychometric measures to determine the presence of dementia and utilization of accurate, accessible, time- and cost-effective diagnostic tools such as DISCERN to identify the type of dementia involved – such as AD. DISCERN is particularly relevant for identifying AD in people who are recently diagnosed with dementia or are suffering from mixed-dementia.”
In clinical studies, DISCERN has demonstrated over 95% sensitivity and specificity and is the only autopsy-validated skin test for AD. With the economic burden of AD in the US projected to increase to $1 trillion by 2050, DISCERN notably can save nearly $5 million in just three years for a Medicare Advantage plan with one million beneficiaries.
“AD is complex but DISCERN resolves the diagnostic dilemma, enabling physicians to make a more definitive diagnosis in the primary care setting,” says Frank Amato, CEO and president, SDx. “The established relationship between AD and the skin provides unique positioning for DISCERN which requires a minimally invasive, 3mm skin punch biopsy. Physicians in the primary care community and neurology settings place high value on this simplified, cost-effective diagnostic pathway to identify AD.”
“As many as 40% of dementia cases may be preventable by addressing modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, smoking, depression, mid-life hypertension, mid-life obesity and diabetes, all of which can help reduce the prevalence of AD in the US,” he explains. “Prevention is the best current strategy to reverse this trend, but for those patients who feel they may be affected by AD, a definitive and early diagnosis is important to determine next steps.”
With the recent approval and introduction of expensive drugs to ameliorate AD, there is a pressing need to more accurately identify appropriate patients in the community setting.
“Given the high cost and risk/benefit drug profiles, accurate prescribing is more important than ever,” he concludes.
About SYNAPS Dx
SYNAPS Dx is a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Company offers DISCERN™, the first highly accurate, minimally invasive test supporting a clinician’s definitive diagnosis of AD versus other forms of dementia, even in people recently diagnosed with dementia. SYNAPS Dx’s laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical laboratory testing. Physicians and patients seeking more information can visit https://discerntest.com/. For more information on the Company, visit https://www.synapsdx.com/. Contact: info@synapsdx.com.
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