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APPLIED NEUROSOLUTIONS BIO-MARKER DETERMINED TO BE USEFUL IN DIAGNOSING MILDLY COGNITIVELY IMPAIRED (MCI) PATIENTS
ASSAY MAY DETECT EARLY-STAGE ALZHEIMERS DISEASE IN PATIENTS
July, 19, 2004, Philadelphia, PA--In a presentation yesterday at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Dr. Harald Hampel reported a biological marker referred to as p-tau231 (phosphorylation of the tau protein at amino acid 231) appears to be an excellent bio-marker for the early detection of Alzheimers disease (AD). This is of significance because there are, to date, no FDA-approved diagnostic tests for Alzheimers disease.
"Currently, it's difficult to determine if a patient has Alzheimers disease and whether an individual with symptoms should be started on an AD therapeutic or not," commented Dr. Hampel. "A good diagnostic would eliminate the guesswork and enable treatment to start earlier, when it could perhaps make a greater impact on the treatment of an AD patient.
Scientists are working with different biological markers present in the brains of AD patients to determine which has the potential to actually diagnose the disease. P-tau 231 is the best bio-marker thats been investigated so far, Dr. Hampel went on to say. It is extremely sensitive in picking up patients that were only mildly cognitively impaired, and in distinguishing Alzheimers patients from those with other conditions and other forms of dementia.
An assay based on p-tau 231 levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is being developed by Applied NeuroSolutions, Inc. (BB OTC: APNS). Dr. John DeBernardis, APNS President and COO, said This study confirms our belief that p-tau 231 constitutes a core biological marker for this dreadful disease. We are moving forward with the development of a test that could determine very early if someone has Alzheimers disease.
Dr. Hampel practices in the Geriatric Psychiatric Branch of the Department of Psychiatry at Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
Applied NeuroSolutions is developing products to diagnose and treat Alzheimers disease based on a novel theory of AD cause and pathology. In partnership with Dr. Peter Davies scientific team at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Applied NeuroSolutions is developing a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test to detect Alzheimer's disease at a very early stage with 85%-95% accuracy. The company is also developing a serum-based screening test for AD, as well a new class of therapeutics to treat AD.
There are currently no FDA-approved diagnostics for Alzheimers disease.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Applied NeuroSolutions wishes to caution the readers of this press release that actual results may differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and may be adversely affected by, among other things, the risks associated with new product development and commercialization, clinical trials, intellectual property, regulatory approvals, potential competitive offerings, and access to capital. For further information, please visit the company's website at www.appliedneurosolutions.com, and review the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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