NewsApril 26, 2024

Mediford Corporation and C₂N Diagnostics Announce Agreement to Collaborate on Blood Testing for Alzheimer's Disease Research in Japan

Mediford Corporation (headquarters: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, President: Kei Shimizu), a wholly-owned subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan), and C₂N Diagnostics, LLC (headquarters: St. Louis, MO, USA, President & CEO: Joel Braunstein, hereafter C₂N) announce that they have signed the partnership agreement for Mediford Corporation to support and offer C₂N's Precivity^TM blood testing services and products for the research market in Japan. Specifically, Mediford Corporation serves as the contact point and provides services such as transporting specimens and reporting the testing results. The agreement will seek to enhance access to C₂N 's Precivity^TM blood testing technology for innovative clinical research activities in Japan in the field of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Both companies will seek to contribute to improving the quality and speed of clinical testing for researchers and pharmaceutical companies in Japan.

Currently, spinal fluid sampling and amyloid PET scans are often used to assist in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The C₂N portfolio of Precivity^TM blood tests aims to markedly simplify the diagnostic evaluation process and burden for patients by using blood sampling to precisely measure biomarkers that are believed to play an integral role in Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and progression.

The business known today as Mediford Corporation has been providing services to Japanese and international pharmaceutical companies and various research institutions in the non-clinical and clinical phases of drug research and development for more than 30 years. In the clinical development stage of new drugs, the company supports research with advanced special analytical techniques for drug analysis and biomarker measurement as well as central laboratory services that enable highly reliable analysis.

C₂N offers proprietary measurement technology and extensive analytical data in the field of central nervous system diseases. In particular, C₂N's panel of Precivity^TM blood tests is a platform technology that uses high-resolution mass spectrometry to enable precise measurements of multiple biomarkers to evaluate amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tau “tangles” brain lesions characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. The company’s biomarker measurement services and products are used to support clinical decision-making, maximize the quality and efficiency of novel treatment development for neurodegenerative diseases, help medical researchers understand disease mechanisms, and identify therapeutic targets.

As the population of Japan ages, the number of people at high risk for developing or living with dementia is significantly increasing. More than half of people with symptoms of dementia are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease. It is expected that 6.75 million people within Japan^*1 aged 65 or older, or about one in five, will have dementia by 2025. By leveraging advanced analytical technologies for a variety of treatment methods and applying its experience of supporting clinical research nationwide, Mediford Corporation will make C₂N's Precivity^TM blood test technology available to support research on Alzheimer’s and related dementia prevention strategies, the early detection of disease, the onset and progression of the disease, and the effectiveness of treatment. Mediford Corporation aims to accelerate research in this area through close collaboration with C₂N and by advancing new knowledge and a deeper understanding of the disease. These activities will enable earlier diagnosis and providing higher quality medical care to those affected by dementia.

Mediford Corporation President Mr. Kei Shimizu said, “Mediford Corporation has been developing biomarkers for dementia through collaborative research in Japan and expects that C₂N's Precivity^TM blood test technology will be one of the unique tools that will greatly benefit dementia-related research and development in Japan. C₂N's technology has received worldwide acclaim for its high diagnostic accuracy and ability to assist in treatment decisions. We are proud to collaborate to make this technology more available so it can improve patients' lives.”

C₂N President & CEO Dr. Joel Braunstein said, “There are many Alzheimer’s disease research activities in Japan, with the country’s distinguished clinicians, scientists, and innovative drug developers contributing to many important discoveries in the field. Mediford Corporation is known for excellence in providing clinical and non-clinical analysis that supports each stage of drug research and development, including advanced treatment options. This new collaboration is part of our commitment to provide global access to high quality diagnostic tools that will enable clinical trial researchers and drug developers to better evaluate the newest solutions and products targeting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”

*1 "Study on future projections of the elderly population with dementia in Japan" (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2014) (Available only in Japanese)
  https://mhlw-grants.niph.go.jp/system/files/2014/141031/201405037A/201405037A0001.pdf

About Mediford Corporation

Mediford Corporation is a Japanese subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523). It started drug development support services as the basis business in November 2023 as a member of PHC Group. Mediford Corporation provides comprehensive services for drug development from an exploratory phase of R&D to a clinical development phase. Mediford Corporation strives to enhance its services for pharmaceutical companies and analytical laboratories globally through analytical technologies required in both non-clinical and clinical studies to realize emerging varieties of treatment modality, through collaboration with pharmaceutical/biotech companies and academia in advanced scientific fields.
URL: www.mediford.com

About C₂N Diagnostics, LLC

C₂N is a specialty diagnostics company with a vision to bring Clarity Through Innovation^®. C₂N strives to provide exceptional laboratory services and products in the field of brain health. C₂N’s high-resolution mass spectrometry-based biomarker services and products are used for: clinical decision-making to improve patient care, including diagnosis and treatment monitoring; maximizing the quality and efficiency of clinical trials that test novel treatments for neurodegeneration; and providing innovative tools to help healthcare researchers better understand novel mechanisms of disease, identify new treatment targets, and conduct important epidemiologic studies to improve global public health. C₂N assays have been used in over 150 Alzheimer’s disease and other research studies throughout the U.S. and the world. This includes landmark treatment and prevention trials involving disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease. C₂N has ongoing collaborations with multi-national pharmaceutical and biotech companies, leading academic institutions, National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, and other non-profits and consortiums. Over 15,000 Precivity™-related biomarker measures have been reported through peer-reviewed publications, with many more manuscripts currently under review.
The company acknowledges generous support from National Institute on Aging, GHR Foundation, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, BrightFocus Foundation and Alzheimer’s Association.
URL: www.C₂N.com

About PHC Holdings Corporation (PHC Group)

PHC Holdings Corporation (TSE 6523) is a global healthcare company with a mission of contributing to the health of society through healthcare solutions that have a positive impact and improve the lives of people. Its subsidiaries include PHC Corporation, Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG, Epredia Holdings Ltd., LSI Medience Corporation, Wemex Corporation, and Mediford Corporation. Together, these companies develop, manufacture, sell and service solutions across diabetes management, healthcare solutions, diagnostics and life sciences. The consolidated net sales in FY2022 were JPY 356.4 billion with global distribution of products and services in more than 125 countries and regions. PHC Group is a collective term referring to PHC Holdings Corporation and its subsidiaries.
URL: www.phchd.com/global