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Quanterix to Showcase New SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System™ at Neuroscience 2017
[November 10, 2017]

Quanterix to Showcase New SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System™ at Neuroscience 2017


Quanterix Corporation, a company digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health, today announced that the company will feature its new SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System™ at Neuroscience 2017, the Society for Neuroscience's 47th annual meeting in Washington, D.C., from Nov. 11-15.

More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, and at least 500,000 Americans live with Parkinson's disease, although some estimates are much higher (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). Neurodegenerative diseases are currently incurable and are creating debilitating conditions that result in progressive neurodegeneration, which may start 20-30 years before symptoms present. Developing specific, sensitive and predictive biomarkers is one of the major challenges for establishing therapeutic treatment for these diseases. A major barrier is the lack of highly sensitive technology to measure changes at the molecular level during the pre-symptomatic stage. Many biomarkers that have been shown to be associated with neurological conditions are not present in high enough concentrations in the blood to be detected with today's standard assay technology.

"This year's Neuroscience event will bring together the leading minds working to advance our understanding of the brain and central nervous system, and is the perfect venue to showcase the advances the SR-X platform offers, including the ability to detect neurological biomarkers at ultra-low levels in blood, which have traditionally only been detectable in cerebrospinal fluid," said Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO and Executive Chairman, Quanterix. "The SR-X has the potential to transform the way we diagnose brain injuries and diseases by detecting neurological biomarkers at much earlier stages and helping us understand the long-term effects and disease pathology. Neuroscience 2017 provides an excellent forum to discuss the ground-breaking applications of this technology."

Quanterix has long history of strategic focus on neurodegeneration, neuro-inflammation, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and multiple sclerosis (MS), working with a rapidly growing network of academic researchers and pharmaceutical and biotech partners to drive advancements in head health research.



A recent study in the European Journal of Neurology demonstrated the use of blood-based biomarkers as reliable indicators of neurological disease utilizing Quanterix' Simoa technology. Researchers from Medical University of Vienna, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg and Semmelweis University examined 132 deceased patients who were shown to have been suffering from rapidly progressive neurological syndromes including: Alzheimer's Disease; sporadic and genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease; and vascular, neoplastic and inflammatory alterations. Using Simoa, researchers measured plasma tau and NF-L in the blood and found that levels of these biomarkers were significantly higher in those suffering from rapidly progressive neurological syndromes. The study, which demonstrated how proteins can be used as reliable biomarkers for neuronal damage and to help to rule out neurodegeneration, illustrates the value of blood-based testing to diagnose neurological diseases.

As part of Quanterix' commitment to fueling advances in neurological research, the company is partnering with the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (TRACK-TBI) research initiative. The effort, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), aims to provide more precise methods for acute TBI diagnosis and prognosis to facilitate development of therapeutics for brain injury. A number of TRACK-TBI collaborators are utilizing Quanterix' Simoa technology and some of the sample sets are being analyzed utilizing the Quanterix Accelerator Lab, a dedicated environment for biomarker research, custom assay development and sample testing, to analyze biomarkers that may indicate neurological damage as a result of brain injury.


As observed by TRACK-TBI Principal Investigator, Geoffrey T. Manley, MD, PhD of UCSF, "Our work with Quanterix to validate biomarkers of acute TBI is designed to accelerate our ability to diagnose and ultimately treat the more than 2.8 million people who arrive at the nation's emergency departments annually, particularly those on the 'mild' or concussion end of the TBI injury spectrum."

On Monday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m., EST, Quanterix is hosting an event to celebrate the launch of its SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System™ at Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in the Wine Cellar (950 I Street, NW, Suite 501).

For more information about Quanterix and to demo the new SR-X Ultra-Sensitive Biomarker Detection System™, please visit booth #2906. To learn more about the Simoa neurology assay menu, please visit: http://www.quanterix.com/therapeutic-areas/cns-biomarkers.

About Quanterix
Quanterix is a company that's digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health. The company's digital health solution, Simoa, has the potential to change the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. Quanterix' technology is designed to enable much earlier disease detection, better prognoses and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for research applications in several therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. The company was established in 2007 and is located in Lexington, Massachusetts.


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