OTTAWA, Canada, July 31, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Spartan Bioscience today announced a partnership with the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation® (GAP) to help recruit possible study participants and accelerate Alzheimer's clinical trials. Through the partnership, Spartan will donate $5 from each sale of its rapid Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic pre-screening test to the GAP Transportation Program, which is powered by Lyft.
Alzheimer's disease affects more than 5.8 million patients in the US, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. Additionally, Alzheimer's is the most expensive disease in the US, costing an estimated $290B in 2018. There is no treatment to slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer's, but research is being conducted on many potential approaches. More than 85% of clinical trials are delayed due to slow enrollment and more than 30% of total trial time is spent recruiting patients. However, with every study we learn more. Faster completion of clinical trials increases our understanding of Alzheimer's and our ability to find treatments and a cure.
Spartan's research APOE test is a rapid method for pre-screening individuals for APOE genetic variations, providing results in one hour from a simple, non-invasive cheek swab. One in four people carry a variation in the APOE gene that puts them at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's, and they may be ideal clinical trial candidates. In conjunction with traditional study recruitment activities, the offering of the Spartan APOE test has been shown to substantially increase interest in Alzheimer's research opportunities possibly leading to shorter recruitment times for research centers.
GAP and Spartan are both seeking ways to improve enrollment in Alzheimer's clinical trials. In 2018, GAP created the GAP Transportation Program to alleviate a key barrier for clinical trial participants by providing rides to and from trial appointments. Now, Spartan is partnering with GAP to further accelerate Alzheimer's research by donating $5 to the GAP Transportation Program from every sale of its rapid APOE test to GAP-Net research sites.
"As an industry, we need to be thinking of the fastest and most innovative ways to advance Alzheimer's research," said John Dwyer, President of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation. "For this reason, Spartan's APOE test is a tool that Alzheimer's researchers may want to consider. We are excited to partner with Spartan to improve two of the biggest barriers to successful clinical trials: enrollment and transportation."
"The Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation is one of the largest networks of Alzheimer's research centers in the North America," said Paul Lem, M.D., CEO of Spartan Bioscience. "We are pleased to support their mission to improve Alzheimer's clinical trials through our partnership and the use of innovative technologies."
Note: Spartan's APOE test is for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Spartan Bioscience
Spartan Bioscience is the leader in on-demand DNA testing. The Spartan Cube, the world's smallest DNA analyzer, enables unprecedented portability and convenience in applications such as infectious disease, precision medicine, pharmacogenetics, and environmental testing. Spartan has developed the first rapid Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genetic test for pre-screening individuals for clinical trials. It provides results in less than 1 hour from a patient-friendly, non-invasive cheek swab. For more information, please visit http://www.spartanbio.com.
About the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation (GAP)
The Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation (GAP) is a patient-centric non-profit dedicated to speeding the delivery of innovative medicines to those in need by reducing the time and cost of Alzheimer's disease clinical trials. In collaboration with other foundations, research centers and industry, GAP established GAP-Net, a growing network of 73 academic and private Alzheimer's disease research centers. GAP-Net sites share data, best practices, use of a central Institutional Review Board and common clinical trial contracts. GAP and GAP-Net are committed to disrupting clinical trial recruitment and study processes and to reducing clinical testing cycles by up to two years. GAP is a 501c3 organization. To learn more about GAP, please visit: http://www.globalalzplatform.org.
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SOURCE Spartan Bioscience Inc.
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