Benzinga | Aug 6, 2021 07:58AM EDT

Quanterix Highlights Eli Lilly's Presentation Of Phase 2 TRAILBLAZER-ALZ Study Utilizing Quanterix' Simoa HD-X

Ultra-sensitive Simoa(r) HD-X technology powers new findings that detect rapid reduction of plasma P-tau217 from donanemab, Lilly's investigational antibody therapy for Alzheimer's disease at 12 weeks

Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ:QTRX), a company digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health, today announced that Eli Lilly and Company, a global healthcare company, presented new data from Lilly's Phase 2 TRAILBLAZER-ALZ study at AAIC 2021 utilizing Quanterix' highly sensitive Simoa(r) technology. The study utilized Quanterix' Simoa(r) HD-X technology and assays to measure P-tau217 (tau phosphorylated at threonine 217), using antibodies developed by Lilly. Lilly reported that the data demonstrates a significant reduction in blood levels of phosphorylated Tau protein after treatment with donanemab.

"Blood-based biomarkers continue to lead the way with impactful breakthroughs to potentially inform treatments for neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's," said Kevin Hrusovsky, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Quanterix and Founder of Powering Precision Health (PPH). "Our groundbreaking Simoa technology continues to facilitate key Alzheimer's disease research, as evidenced by more than 80 abstracts based on Simoa technology presented at AAIC 2021, one of the most pivotal and innovative events for the Alzheimer's community."

Additional information on the TRAILBLAZER-ALZ study and the reported results can be found in Lilly's July 29, 2021 AAIC press release.

Research suggests that P-tau217, a form of the tau protein, may be a critically important biomarker for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. The biomarker has demonstrated the ability to distinguish the condition from other forms of neurodegenerative disease and has shown the potential to serve as a valuable tool for identifying patients with mild cognitive impairment. See Janelidze et al. 2021, JAMA Neurology. Furthermore, it has the potential to help determine those who could realize pre-cognitive benefit from candidate AD therapeutics and more effectively triage patients into clinical trials.

"Researchers and pharmaceutical companies are actively evaluating the application of highly sensitive plasma-based assays for P-tau217 -- along with other forms of tau, including P-tau181 and P-tau231 -- given the potential for these markers to improve clinical trial outcomes and costs by enhancing the patient cohort through more targeted and efficient recruitment, complement and potentially reduce the invasive techniques required to monitor drug efficacy, and potentially enable even earlier patient recruitment in the disease cascade when drug therapies may be more efficacious in modifying the disease progression," continued Hrusovsky. "Furthermore, blood-based biomarkers present the potential for home-based screening to further aid in detecting cognitive decline earlier in the disease cascade, allowing patients to potentially derive greater benefit from emerging therapeutics. We remain focused on bringing these biomarkers to researchers to help them advance important therapies and ultimately to patients and the medical community as a new field of 'neuro diagnostic therapies' evolves to help improve outcomes for those suffering from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases."

Considered to be among the largest and most influential international meetings dedicated to dementia research, AAIC convenes international investigators, clinicians, and care researchers to discuss the latest research aimed at improving global efforts to detect, treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease. As the company behind Simoa(r) technology, one of the most sensitive biomarker detection solutions on the market today, Quanterix has been instrumental in fueling critical advances in neurodegenerative research through the close study of neurological biomarkers. In the AAIC 2021 product theater presentation, Quanterix Vice President of Clinical Strategy David Wilson, PhD, offered a preview of the Simoa SNAP-25 assay kit that is now available for pre-order. Recent research demonstrates the potential for SNAP-25 to distinguish Alzheimer's disease patients from non-demented controls, suggesting the value of this biomarker as a tool to further advance the understanding of Alzheimer's disease.