GE Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson want to know who’s at risk for Alzheimer’s. These two companies have teamed up to research methods of detecting Alzheimer’s disease in patients.
This sounds pretty routine and not very news worthy. However, these two healthcare giants want to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s disease before they begin to exhibit any symptoms of the brain disease.
In announcing their collaborative efforts, GE Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson are hoping to shed some light on Alzheimer’s and identify who is at risk for developing Alzheimer’s Disease. It is hoped this collaboration will identify a biosignature which is essential a collection of biomarkers, that will show which people are at risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Physicians would be able to make more informed decisions, direct patient care and determine a course of treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease well before patients exhibit symptoms.
Both Johnson & Johnson and GE Healthcare are expected to combine efforts in data integration, informatics, genomics and imaging in this collaborative effort to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease.
In making such an announcement, these companies are signalling a new emphasis on a disease that is projected to have major impacts as society ages. Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease could allow for better treatments or perhaps early intervention, as well as providing support for monitoring the progression of Alzheimer’s.
The identification of an Alzheimer’s biosignature would not only determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s, but will perhaps pave the road for new drugs and treatments for the brain disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease affects millions worldwide and according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, approximately 35.6 million people live with dementia, a major symptom of Alzheimer’s Disease. This number is expected to double by 2030 and rise to over 115 million by 2050.
Such numbers are staggering when we consider the implications that Alzheimer’s Disease has on social programs, healthcare programs and individuals themselves.
It is expected this collaborative effort to determine who is at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease will spark new efforts in international Alzheimer’s Research for all companies in this area, not only Johnson & Johnson and GE Healthcare.
Recent Alzheimer’s research was dealt several blows after several newly developed drugs for Alzheimer’s were determined ineffective and had adverse affects on Alzheimer’s patients.
Recent Comments