State of Arizona Commits Support for CND Life Sciences to Launch Groundbreaking Digital Biosignatures Lab for Neurodegenerative Diseases

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CND Life Sciences, an innovative medical diagnostics company pioneering the detection, visualization, and quantification of protein deposition in cutaneous nerve fibers, has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from the Arizona Governor's Office to support the creation of the world's first digital biosignatures laboratory focused on neurodegenerative disorders. Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions place Arizonans and patients nationally at a higher risk for morbidity and mortality if they contract COVID-19.

"Creating a Digital Biosignatures Lab for Neurodegenerative Diseases right here in Scottsdale has the chance to transform how physicians diagnose and treat these debilitating diseases," said Todd Levine, MD, Chief Medical Officer of CND Life Sciences and Director of Neurology at HonorHealth. "COVID-19 has taught us many things, including that we can accelerate medical innovations to treat vulnerable populations of patients if we put the right resources and vigor behind them," explained Dr. Levine." We are truly grateful for the grant support from the State of Arizona and are highly motivated to improve the care of patients locally and beyond."

CND develops and commercializes skin-based tests to help clinicians accurately diagnose and treat neurologic disorders such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, and peripheral neuropathies. These diseases, which affect millions of adults and are often misdiagnosed or identified late in the disease course, are expected to double in prevalence by 2050. At the end of 2019, CND introduced a reliable and minimally invasive technology, the Syn-One Test^®, that objectively detects and visualizes the abnormal form of a protein called alpha-synuclein to aid in the diagnosis of these challenging diseases known as synucleinopathies. With the Syn-One Test, CND also applies immunohistopatholgical techniques to identify peripheral nerve degeneration, another critical marker of disease. The next phase of innovation for CND is to incorporate digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to augment the pathological reading of tissue specimens and ultimately improve early diagnosis and treatment of these serious disorders.

With allocated funds from the Governor's Office, CND plans to open the new Digital Biosignatures Lab in 2023 adjacent to its headquarters in Scottsdale, merging the company's existing scientific foundation in cutaneous neurodiagnostics with the application of AI-driven image analysis and other digital tools. Grant funds will facilitate the hiring of local life sciences personnel, establishment of requisite computing capacity, and acceleration of important research projects. The eventual goal of CND's Digital Biosignatures Lab is to develop AI-assisted neurodiagnostics for routine clinical practice that guide more precise treatment options for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

"Supporting the launch of this biosignatures lab will continue to make Arizona a leader and center of excellence in the field of neurodegenerative medicine," said Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. "With critical investments in the growth of Arizona's biotechnology community and world-class research, Arizona's  workforce is poised to create innovations in healthcare for years to come."

Founded in 2017, CND Life Sciences is dedicated to supporting the care of patients facing the potential diagnosis of a neurodegenerative disease and other neurological conditions. Operating a CLIA-certified laboratory in Scottsdale, Arizona, CND launched the Syn-One Test in 2019 as the world's first commercially available test to detect, visualize, and quantify phosphorylated alpha-synuclein located in cutaneous nerve fibers. The test, which analyzes small skin biopsies collected conveniently from the patient in a physician's office, aids in the diagnosis of a synucleinopathy including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, pure autonomic failure, and REM sleep behavior disorder. The Syn-One Test leverages a decade of published science from leading academic institutions in multiple countries and has demonstrated over 95% sensitivity and specificity (based on data presented at the 2020 AAN annual meeting). As a next stage in its evolution, CND is developing technologies to identify Synuclein Signatures™ that characterize the pathological footprint of a patient's disease and, along with other biological markers and clinical factors, have the potential to guide more effective and targeted treatment pathways. The company has research collaborations with multiple biopharmaceutical companies and has been awarded three prestigious NIH SBIR grants to advance the validation and clinical utility of its Syn-One Test. For more information visit www.cndlifesciences.com.

Contact: Jen Marnowski 
CND Life Sciences PR & Media  
P: 404-309-1137
[email protected]

SOURCE CND Life Sciences