BioIVT is sourcing matched sets of cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and plasma from donors afflicted with ALS to further research of neurofilament in the blood as a biomarker for early stages of neurodegeneration

BioIVT, a leading provider of biospecimens, research models and services for drug and diagnostic development, today announced that the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium has chosen it to supply biosamples for the Neurofilament as a Blood-Based Biomarker of Neurodegeneration in Familial Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) Project.

FTD, which impacts the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, is the most common form of dementia in people under 60 years of age. It can impact a person’s speech, understanding, and movement. There is currently no treatment or cure for FTD.

When neurons are damaged or die, the level of neurofilament (a protein component of the neuron) increases in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Recent studies indicate that increased neurofilament levels in the blood are a promising biomarker for the earliest stages of neurodegeneration.

This project will determine the most effective blood tests for measuring neurofilament levels. The goal is to produce a reliable, cost-effective, non-invasive test to identify people at increased risk of developing symptoms, especially among those with genetic markers for rare neurodegenerative diseases such as Familial FTD and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Individuals at higher risk of developing symptoms would be potential candidates for clinical trials to help develop a therapy.

“BioIVT is sourcing matched sets of cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and plasma K2 EDTA from donors afflicted with ALS and healthy volunteers. With a matched set, all three biosamples are collected at the same point in time. It is typically difficult to source and bank matched sets of biosamples from donors with rare diseases such as ALS. However, BioIVT has more than 350 clinical sites located in the United States and around the world, which enable us to identify rare donors,” said Cathie Miller, PhD, Senior Director of Product Marketing at BioIVT.

“Access to high-quality samples and clinical data from control and disease populations is critical for robust and reproducible biomarker measures and development. We appreciate the technical expertise and value-added services in sample procurement, handling and data coordination that BioIVT brings to the Neurofilament project. Their acumen augments and helps accelerate our shared objectives to identify and treat patients with these rare neurodegenerative diseases,” said Steve Hoffmann, Director of the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium.

Further information about the Biomarkers Consortium Neurofilament Project is available at https://fnih.org/what-we-do/programs/biomarkers-consortium-neurofilament-blood-based-biomarker-neurodegeneration.

About the Biomarkers Consortium

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health’s Biomarkers Consortium (BC) embraces government, industry, patient advocacy groups, and not-for-profit organizations to address one of the most pressing needs in the diagnosis and treatment of disease: the development and the seeking of regulatory approval for disease biomarkers and surrogates. The core operations of the Biomarkers Consortium are supported through the contributing membership program. Organizations representing private industry (including the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, diagnostics, and information technology industries) and not-for-profit organizations (including associations, advocacy groups, trade organizations, and philanthropic organizations) that wish to support biomarkers development are eligible to become contributing members.

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) creates and manages alliances with public and private Institutions in support of the mission of the NIH, the world’s premier medical research agency. The Foundation, also known as the FNIH, works with its partners to accelerate biomedical research and strategies against diseases and health concerns in the United States and across the globe. The FNIH organizes and administers research projects; supports education and training of new researchers; organizes educational events and symposia; and administers a series of funds supporting a wide range of health issues. Established by Congress in 1990, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

About BioIVT

BioIVT is a leading global provider of research models and value-added research services for drug discovery and development. We specialize in control and disease-state biospecimens including human and animal tissues, cell products, blood and other biofluids. Our unmatched portfolio of clinical specimens directly supports precision medicine research and the effort to improve patient outcomes by coupling comprehensive clinical data with donor samples. And as the premier supplier of hepatic products, including hepatocytes and subcellular fractions, BioIVT enables scientists to better understand the pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism of newly discovered compounds and their effects on disease processes. By combining our technical expertise, exceptional customer service, and unparalleled access to biological specimens, BioIVT serves the research community as a trusted partner in elevating science. For more information, please visit www.bioivt.com or follow the company on Twitter @BioIVT.