Collaborating on Diagnosis of a Type of Dementia, 'Jeongsangap Sudusung'
Early Detection Enables Complete Cure with Simple Surgery
[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Dong-guk] Dementia, a so-called ‘soul-consuming’ disease. Amid the growing number of patients becoming a social issue, the local advanced biomarker specialist company D&P Biotech and the diagnostic platform company Boditech Med have jointly taken on the challenge of developing a dementia diagnostic product.
The two companies announced on the 24th that they have agreed to collaborate on the development of a diagnostic product for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, a type of dementia.
Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is known as a type of dementia caused by excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles, which protects the brain. The cerebrospinal fluid presses on the frontal lobe of the brain, causing abnormal symptoms such as gait disturbance, urinary incontinence, and decline in memory and concentration.
This disease often leads to frequent misdiagnosis because its early symptoms resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease, but it requires proper understanding as it is a type of dementia that can be completely cured with a simple surgery, making early detection crucial.
Although still in the early stages of development, there is high expectation for success as specialized companies from different fields collaborate on joint development. If this product development succeeds, it will prevent situations where appropriate treatment opportunities are missed due to misdiagnosis.
D&P Biotech is promoting the discovery and commercialization of new biomarkers not only for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus patients but also for lung cancer and preterm birth.
The lung cancer prognosis gene kit is the world’s first product that predicts the risk of recurrence in lung cancer surgery patients. It helps establish treatment strategies according to risk levels, and the company explained that it is currently undergoing clinical trials by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, aiming for commercialization within the year.
The preterm birth microbiome kit predicts the risk of preterm birth by analyzing the distribution of microorganisms in the vagina and using a self-developed algorithm. It has entered clinical trials by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety at three university hospitals, including Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital. Clinical trials will also be conducted with Professor Dilly Anumba of The University of Sheffield in the UK.
The University of Sheffield, ranked among the top 70 universities worldwide, is a prestigious institution. Professor Anumba, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, is internationally recognized as an expert in preterm birth, serving as the head of the UK National Health Service preterm birth research group and the project leader of the ECCLIPPx project.
Lee Myung-hoon, CEO of D&P Biotech, said, “Through joint research with Professor Anumba, we will evaluate diagnostic performance for British mothers and proceed with an upgrade process suitable for mothers as we enter the UK and European markets.”
D&P Biotech plans to expand beyond diagnostics into new drug development, starting with the launch of UBIQAS, discovering new biomarkers using UBIQAS, and developing companion diagnostics for PROTAC.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
