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Cytox brings ground-breaking genetic risk test for Alzheimer's disease to the UK

5 June 2023

Cytox brings ground-breaking genetic risk test for Alzheimer's disease to the UK

1st June 2023 - There are currently around 900,000 people in the UK living with dementia, and this number is expected to rise to over 1 million by 2025. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the UK, accounting for around two-thirds of all cases. Today Cytox Ltd has launched a genetic test capable of predicting lifetime risk of AD. Powered by genoSCORE™ technology, genoSCORE-ACT gives people the power to determine their own genetic risk for the disease. Following interest in genoSCORE technology in the US, this launch enables people in the UK to benefit from a home-grown medical innovation and proactively manage their own brain health. genoSCORE technology was developed by Cytox, based on ground-breaking research carried out at the Universities of Oxford, Cardiff, and Birmingham.

This product launch comes at a significant time. A string of positive announcements in the past six months has given momentum to the fight against AD. After decades of little progress, the accelerated approval from the FDA for Lecanemab (Leqembi, Eisai/Biogen), has been heralded as a milestone achievement for the treatment of the disease. Significantly, this new drug has been found to be most effective for patients with early-stage disease, making knowing your genetic risk more important than ever.

In May, another drug was found to significantly slow the progression of the disease. Donanemab (Eli Lilly) is the second drug in 12 months to succeed in trials, leading Dr Richard Oakley, the associate director of research at the Alzheimer’s Society in the UK to suggest this could be ‘the beginning of the end of the disease’. As we stand on the cusp of real treatment options for AD, knowing our genetic risk of developing the disease has a new level of importance.

The genoSCORE™ Polygenic Risk Scoring technology is used to assess the genetic risk of future cognitive decline due to AD. The test, which uses a simple saliva sample, analyses over 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - small genetic variations - that are associated with AD. An individual polygenic risk score (PRS) quantifies a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer's, even before symptoms arise. In addition, the test can be used by developers of new AD drugs to identify individuals most likely to respond to therapies under investigation.

Cytox CEO, Dr Richard Pither says: "In today's world, where access to health information is more readily available than ever before, people are increasingly taking charge of their own health and wellbeing. At Cytox, we believe that knowledge is power and that everyone should have the ability to make informed decisions about their own health. With the launch of genoSCORE-ACT, we are putting the power in the hands of the individual, both to find out their personal genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and to take proactive steps to mitigate its impact.”

Knowledge is powerful, and genoSCORE-ACT is an opportunity for those concerned about their cognitive health, or that of a loved one, to take control and focus on preventative action. Cytox has partnered with Mynurva to provide a free counseling session to purchasers of the test. The online counseling service offers a forum to discuss risk scores as well as well-being strategies.

Simple lifestyle changes can make a significant impact on the level of cognitive decline. The company believes the first step towards preventing AD is understanding the individual's level of genetic risk, and genoSCORE-ACT makes it possible for anyone to take control of their cognitive health.