Duke University Receives Notice of Patent Allowance and Grants Athena Neurosciences, Inc. Exclusive Worldwide License to Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic Test.SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO South San Francisco, city (1990 pop. 54,312), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1908. South San Francisco has several industrial parks; its manufactures include medical supplies and equipment, foods, paint, paper products, consumer goods, and clothing. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 15, 1995-- Athena Neurosciences, Inc. (Athena) (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on : ATHN) and Duke University (Duke) announced today that they have concluded an agreement granting Athena an exclusive, worldwide license to technology and patent rights owned by Duke to the use of apolipoprotein E apolipoprotein E A 34-kD cholesterol-binding glycoprotein, which comprises 15% of VLDL; apoE maps to chromosome 19, is secreted by macrophages that mediate the uptake of lipoproteins–VLDL, HDL, LDL and cholesterol esters into cells via distinct binding (ApoE) as a diagnostic test. Duke also announced that it has received from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office a Notice of Allowance for a patent having claims covering the use of this test in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. . The original discoveries, published in 1993 by Allen D. Roses, M.D. and his colleagues at Duke, found that the presence of the ApoE4 form of the ApoE gene significantly increases the probability that a patient's dementia is caused by Alzheimer's disease. In humans, ApoE is expressed in three different gene forms, known as ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4. Individuals inherit one form, or allele allele (əlēl`): see genetics. allele Any one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that may occur alternatively at a given site on a chromosome. , from each parent. The Duke team has found that the ApoE4 version was most common among patients with Alzheimer's disease; a series of studies concluded that 64 percent of these patients had at least one copy of the gene, compared to only 31 percent in normal individuals not suffering from dementia. Further, the data showed that patients who inherited two copies of ApoE4 increased the relative risk of their developing the disease eight-fold compared to those with no ApoE4. Since that original publication, over 100 studies in Alzheimer's patients and controls around the world have substantially confirmed the original findings made by Duke. In conjunction with Duke investigators, Athena plans to maintain a longitudinal database of age, gender, racial and ethnic variations from ongoing epidemiological studies An Epidemiological study is a statistical study on human populations, which attempts to link human health effects to a specified cause. of Alzheimer's disease so that physicians who use Athena's ApoE test services can be provided with up-to-date and accurate interpretations for symptomatic patients. Athena currently offers the ApoE blood test through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Athena Diagnostics, Inc. Robert E. Flaherty, president and chief executive officer of Athena Diagnostics, Inc., said "We are delighted to have concluded our license of the ApoE patents and technology with Duke. The use of an ApoE diagnostic test is only recommended for symptomatic individuals; predictive use must wait until there is safe and efficacious ef·fi·ca·cious adj. Producing or capable of producing a desired effect. See Synonyms at effective. [From Latin effic preventative therapy. However, we believe this test will provide considerable value for differential diagnosis differential diagnosis n. Determination of which one of two or more diseases with similar symptoms is the one from which the patient is suffering. Also called differentiation. of some patients with cognitive impairment and dementia. Over the next year, we plan to work closely with leaders in the Alzheimer's field to reach a consensus on the appropriate application of ApoE testing in clinical practice. The ApoE test represents the first of a panel of test services we plan to make available to physicians to assist in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease." Athena Neurosciences, Inc. was founded in 1986 and is engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of products and services to be used primarily by neurologists for the treatment and diagnosis of neurological disorders This is a list of major and frequently observed neurological disorders (e.g. Alzheimer's disease), symptoms (e.g.back pain), signs (e.g. aphasia) and syndromes (e.g. Aicardi syndrome). . CONTACT: Athena Neurosciences, Inc. Robert E. Flaherty, 508/756-2886 Beth La Sagna, 415/877-0900 or Duke University Medical Center Renee Twombly, 919/684-4148 |
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