Roche Diagnostics India on Tuesday announced the launch of India’s first automated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based test.
According to the company, the Elecsys ß-Amyloid (1-42) CSF, Elecsys Phospho-Tau (181P) CSF assays, and Elecsys Total -Tau CSF. Elecsys AD CSF assays are intended to be used in adult patients with cognitive impairment to support the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
The test is also indicated for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as an aid to identify a higher risk of cognitive decline.
Alzheimer’s disease has a huge public health impact that includes prevalence, mortality, and morbidity as well as the costs of care.
In India, more than 5 million people have some form of dementia with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for an estimated 60% to 80% of cases.
Currently, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is largely based on clinical symptoms, including cognitive testing, with a significant number of patients diagnosed when their disease has already advanced.
Reportedly, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease based on cognitive measures alone is only correct in 70 – 80 percent of cases. Identifying the disease and its progression with CSF immunoassays, associated with AD pathology, increases the certainty of a diagnosis of AD and can help clinicians to evaluate the progression of the disease, the company claims.
“India currently faces a dual problem in terms of lack of effective diagnostic mechanisms and access to treatment for Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. According to a 2020 report by the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI), an estimated 5.3 million people above the age of 60 have dementia in the country and the burden of Alzheimers is expected to increase in the coming years 2. The need of the hour is to ensure timely diagnosis and intervention. To bridge this need gap, I am excited to introduce the Elecsys CSF tests which offer a standardised pre-analytical protocol for clinicians and labs to provide reliable, safe and accurate identification of patients with Alzheimer’s disease,” Narendra Varde, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostic India and Neighboring Markets shares, said.
The company also announced that the assays are now available at top neurological institutes across India. In the coming months, Roche Diagnostics is committed to expanding access to these assays to a broader network of hospitals and labs across the country, it stated.
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