The Genetics Company, Inc. opened the first of several reference centers for Alzheimer's disease diagnostics and patient care
The Genetics Company, Inc. a privately held Swiss drug discovery and development company, focusing on the research, development and commercialization of products for the diagnosis, monitoring and therapy of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease and cancer, opened the first of several Alzheimer's disease reference centers in Bremen, Germany.
This first event was held together with the Medizinisches Labor Bremen, Dr. Wittke, Dr. Gerritzen and Partners, a medical laboratory, which offers a range of over 6000 different analytical assays in the fields of laboratory medicine, biochemistry, microbiology and infection epidemiology and environmental medicine.
The highlight of the evening was the vocational training presented by leading researchers and clinicians, Prof. Dr. Beyreuther, Prof. Dr. Wiltfang and PD Dr. Hildebrandt who reported on the latest findings in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy. The conference showed the striking importance of the so-called "Amyloid beta (Ab) 40/42 ratio" determination in Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, as illustrated by the results of current clinical studies.
The Medizinische Labor Bremen already offers a range of high quality analyses for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The Medizinische Labor Bremen will now also function as the central reference center for Northwest Germany by analyzing CSF-samples of possible Alzheimer's disease and other dementia patients from surrounding clinics and general practitioners.
The Genetics Company will supply the Medizinisches Labor Bremen with its innovative, CE-certified Ab40/Ab42 test kits for the detection of Alzheimer's disease specific peptides in human CSF samples. The Genetics Company's Ab40 and Ab42 test kits facilitate the determination of the Ab-ratio, which is believed to be the most sensitive biochemical Alzheimer's disease diagnostic method currently available. Early stage Alzheimer's disease patients can be identified using this Ab-ratio thus assisting therapeutic treatment and associated palliative measures.
This Alzheimer's disease reference center in Bremen is however the first of several reference centers which The Genetics Company will be opening in the coming months throughout Germany, followed by the rest of Europe. The next reference centers to open will be in Dresden, Germany in November 2004 (in collaboration with the medical laboratory "Laborpraxis Zimmermann und Piontek Dresden") and subsequently in Ulm, Germany in early 2005. The Dresden reference center inauguration will again be accompanied by vocational training presented by leading researchers and clinicians in the field, CA Dr. Ficker, PD. Dr. H. Tumani and Prof. Dr. J. Wiltfang.
Dr. Andreas Gerritzen of the Medizinisches Labor Bremen was quoted as saying "we offer a variety of diagnostic measurements for a wide range of diseases. With The Genetics Company's Ab test kits we now can integrate the Ab-ratio definition into our existing, well implemented program which optimizes in vitro diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease".
Dr. Harald Eistetter, CEO of The Genetics Company, adding the following comments "we appreciate that the Medizinisches Labor Bremen operates as our first reference center in Germany. Dr. Gerritzen and his team have extensive experience in the area of CSF diagnostics and are extremely well-reputed among the leading diagnostic laboratories in Europe".
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