SYNAPS Dx (SDx), a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is pleased to announce the opening of a new, high-tech lab at the North Bethesda, MD Greencourt Innovation Center (GIC) for the national launch of DISCERN™, a minimally invasive diagnostic test to identify AD in people living with dementia. DISCERN assesses the factors directly related to the formation of synaptic connections in the brain impacting loss of memory and cognition in people living with AD, as well as regulators of amyloid plaque and tau formation—hallmarks of AD at autopsy.

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Martin Rosendale, CEO, Maryland Tech Council, says, “Incredible innovations in life science and biotechnology are happening in Maryland and the DISCERN test is one of them. GIC is an advanced lab with the latest technology available and will serve as a great environment for the important work SDx technicians are performing to identify this devastating disease.”

The test demonstrates >95% sensitivity and specificity, even in people recently diagnosed with dementia and is likely to reduce the number of people undergoing costly and often unreliable PET scans and invasive spinal fluid tests. DISCERN combines three biomarkers: Morphometric Imaging to measure fibroblasts’ ability to form networks; Protein Kinase C ε that correlates with synaptic activity; and AD-Index to measure phosphorylation of Erk1 and Erk2 in response to bradykinin.

“The test results are available in a matter of weeks to inform the clinician’s diagnosis and the most appropriate intervention for the patient, spanning medication, a clinical pathway or recommendations regarding diet, physical activity and mental exercise,” says Frank Amato, CEO and president, SDx. “We’re excited to locate our research and commercialization operations in GIC, which has been meticulously designed for companies like ours that are innovating at a high level.”

SDx will continue to build and scale its commercialization activities, providing prescribers, payers and patients with a diagnostic test that is an important breakthrough for the AD community.

About SYNAPS Dx

SYNAPS Dx is a privately held company focused on the research, development and commercialization of a diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The Company offers DISCERN™, the first highly accurate, minimally invasive test supporting a clinician’s definitive diagnosis of AD versus other forms of dementia, even in people recently diagnosed with dementia. SYNAPS Dx’s laboratory is certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) as qualified to perform high complexity clinical laboratory testing. Physicians and patients seeking more information can visit https://discerntest.com/. For more information on the Company, visit https://www.synapsdx.com/. Contact: info@synapsdx.com.

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