(RTTNews) - Grifols, S.A. (GRF), a healthcare company, on Tuesday, announced the receipt of a $21 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to fund an initiative, called "Chronos-PD".
Chronos-PD aims to identify plasma-based biomarkers that could indicate a higher likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease long before symptoms appear.
Grifols' proprietary bank has a vast collection of over 100 million plasma samples, representing various disease states connected to real-world health data.
As part of the initiative, a pilot study will be conducted to analyze longitudinal plasma samples covering a span of up to 10 years. This will enable researchers to track how specific plasma proteins change over time in people with Parkinson's, which could help create an early-warning system for the emergence of the disease.
Parkinson's disease affects over 6 million people worldwide, and current diagnostic methods typically identify the disease too late for effective intervention.
The Chronos-PD program will leverage Grifols' vast collection of over 100 million plasma samples, representing various disease states, to identify proteins that change over time in people at risk for PD.
The research will be conducted by Grifols' subsidiary Alkahest, which specializes in using AI and proteomics technology to analyze multiomics data.
GRFS closed Monday's (Jan. 13, 2025) trading at $7.23 down 0.82%. In premarket trading, the stock is down another 0.55% at $7.19.
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