MSD signs agreement to develop Alzheimer’s diagnostics

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) has announced that it has signed an agreement with Neuroptix to collaborate on the use of laser-eye scanning for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease before the onset of symptoms.

The research will also investigate the use of non-invasive scanning for the tracking and treatment of clinical and preclinical development and treatment of the disease.

Under the terms of the deal Merck will use the NeuroptixTM QEL laser eye scanning diagnostic device to detect amyloid protein aggregates in the eye – a marker of beta amyloid in the brain. In preclinical investigations, the device has detected the Alzheimer’s-related protein aggregates in mice.

Mev Turner, senior vice president of worldwide licensing and external research at MSD, said: “We are pleased to be collaborating with Neuroptix in this potentially groundbreaking work on Alzheimer’s diagnostics.”

He added that the company hoped that the collaboration would show the potential of the innovative technology for detecting the biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease.

In November, MSD announced that it had signed a collaboration and licensing agreement with the J David Gladstone Institutes. The agreement is for the research and development of pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases linked to mechanisms in the body regulated by apolipoprotein, including Alzheimer’s disease.