Page 12 - aruba-today-20201201

A12 HEALTH
Tuesday 1 december 2020

First blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer’s goes on sale

rate either.”
ACCURACY CLAIMS
The company has not pub-
lished any data on the test’s
accuracy, although the
doctors have published on
the amyloid research lead-
ing to the test. Company
promotional materials cite
results comparing the test
to PET brain scans — the
current gold standard —
in 686 people, ages 60-91,
with cognitive impairment
or dementia.
If a PET scan showed amy-
loid buildup, the blood test
also gave a high probability
of that in 92% of cases and
missed 8% of them, said the
company’s chief execu-
tive, Dr. Joel Braunstein.
If the PET scan was nega-
tive, the blood test ruled
out amyloid buildup 77% of
the time. The other 23% got
a positive result, but that
doesn’t necessarily mean
the blood test was incor-
rect, Braunstein said. The
published research sug-
gests it may detect amy-
loid buildup before it’s evi-
dent on scans.
Braunstein said the com-
This Wednesday, July 22, 2020, photo provided by C2N Diagnostics shows equipment in a lab that analyzes blood samples at the pany will seek FDA ap-
company’s facility in the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis.
Associated Press proval and the agency has
given it a designation that
By MARILYNN MARCHIONE agree that a simple test sure the protein is a costly and results come within 10 can speed review. He said
AP Chief Medical Writer that can be done in a doc- PET brain scan that usually is days. It’s sold in all but a study results would be pub-
A company has started tor’s office has long been not covered by insurance. few states in the U.S. and lished, and he defended
selling the first blood test to needed. That means most people just was cleared for sale in the decision to start selling
help diagnose Alzheimer’s It might have spared Tam- don’t get one and are left Europe. the test now.
disease, a leap for the field my Maida a decade of wondering if their problems It measures two types of “Should we be holding
that could make it much futile trips to doctors who are due to normal aging, amyloid particles plus vari- that technology back
easier for people to learn chalked up her symptoms Alzheimer’s or something ous forms of a protein that when it could have a big
whether they have demen- to depression, anxiety else. reveal whether someone impact on patient care?”
tia. It also raises concern or menopause before a The blood test from C2N Di- has a gene that raises risk he asked.
about the accuracy and $5,000 brain scan last year agnostics of St. Louis aims for the disease. These fac- WHAT OTHERS SAY
impact of such life-altering finally showed she had Al- to fill that gap. The com- tors are combined in a Dr. Eliezer Masliah, neuro-
news. zheimer’s. pany’s founders include formula that includes age, science chief at the U.S.
Independent experts are “I now have an answer,” Drs. David Holtzman and and patients are given a National Institute on Aging,
leery because key test re- said the 63-year-old former Randall Bateman of Wash- score suggesting low, me- said the government fund-
sults have not been pub- nurse from San Jose, Cali- ington University School of dium or high likelihood of ed some of the work lead-
lished and the test has not fornia. Medicine, who headed re- having amyloid buildup in ing to the test as well as
been approved by the U.S. If a blood test had been search that led to the test the brain. other kinds of blood tests.
Food and Drug Administra- available, “I might have and are included on a pat- If the test puts them in the “I would be cautious about
tion — it’s being sold un- been afraid of the results” ent that the St. Louis univer- low category, “it’s a strong interpreting any of these
der more general rules for but would have “jumped sity licensed to C2N. reason to look for other things,” he said of the com-
commercial labs. But they on that” to find out, she ABOUT THE TEST things” besides Alzheimer’s, pany’s claims. “We’re en-
said. The test is not intended for Bateman said. couraged, we’re interest-
More than 5 million people general screening or for “There are a thousand ed, we’re funding this work
in the United States and people without symptoms things that can cause but we want to see results.”
millions more around the — it’s aimed at people 60 someone to be cognitively Heather Snyder of the Al-
world have Alzheimer’s, the and older who are having impaired,” from vitamin de- zheimer’s Association said
most common form of de- thinking problems and are ficiencies to medications, it won’t endorse a test with-
mentia. To be diagnosed being evaluated for Al- Holtzman said. out FDA approval. The test
with it, people must have zheimer’s. It’s not covered “I don’t think this is any dif- also needs to be studied in
symptoms such as memo- by insurance or Medicare; ferent than the testing we larger and diverse popula-
ry loss plus evidence of a the company charges do now” except it’s from tions.
buildup of a protein called $1,250 and offers discounts a blood test rather than a “It’s not quite clear how
beta-amyloid in the brain. based on income. Only brain scan, he said. “And accurate or generalizable
The best way now to mea- doctors can order the test those are not 100% accu- the results are,” she said.q