Business
Presents ALS signatures at NEALS
Presents ALS signatures at NEALS.
About this update from Oxford Biodynamics Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \nRNS Number : 2407T Oxford BioDynamics PLC 11 October 2017 \n\n \n \n11 October 2017\n \nOxford BioDynamics Plc\n(\"OBD\" or the \"Company\" and, together with its subsidiaries, the \"Group\")\n \nOxford BioDynamics presents ALS signatures at NEALS\n \nEpiSwitch™ signature is able to diagnose and successfully predict disease progression\n \nOxford BioDynamics Plc (\"OBD\" or the \"Company\"), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of epigenetic biomarkers based on regulatory genome architecture for use within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, today announces that its Senior Director, Dr Willem Westra, participated in an Industry Partner Roundtable at the 2017 Annual Northeast ALS Consortium (NEALS) Meeting in Florida and presented two distinct epigenetic signatures for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis and prognosis.\n \nThe objective of the prospective study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of two epigenetic-based ALS disease signatures for the diagnosis of ALS and for the prognosis of fast versus slow progressing ALS. 100 patients' samples were compared to controls at three and six months following the initial clinical visit. During each visit, participants underwent the ALS-Functional Rating Scale-Revised assessment, forced vital capacity tests, and provided a blood sample that was analysed using EpiSwitch™.\n \nA comparative interrogation of the genomic architecture from healthy and diseased-patient blood samples revealed two unique ALS-related epigenetic signatures: one with diagnostic potential and a second for prognosis prediction. The diagnostic signature reported specificity of 75% and sensitivity of 88% on the validation cohort whilst the prognostic test reported sensitivity and specificity of 80%.\n \nDr Alexandre Akoulitchev, Chief Scientific Officer of Oxford BioDynamics, commented: \n \n\"We are delighted to present two distinct epigenetic signatures for ALS diagnosis and prognosis at the Annual NEALS Meeting in Florida. This prospective study has delivered two new and unique epigenetic biomarker signatures that have the potential to improve the time to diagnosis and provide a predictive prognosis for the progression of the disease. We look forward to further ...