Company aims to enable earlier diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases by accurately detecting multiple disease-linked proteins.
Diagnostics company Sunbird Bio has secured $14 million in additional financing to advance its blood testing platform for neurodegenerative diseases. The company’s platform aims to improve the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders by enabling earlier and more accurate detection of disease-specific proteins implicated in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Based in Cambridge, MA, and Singapore, Sunbird has developed a proprietary blood-based diagnostic technology capable of identifying proteins like amyloid beta (Aβ), tau and alpha-synuclein (α-synuclein), which play critical roles in the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The company claims its technology accurately detects low concentrations of these proteins, potentially supporting earlier diagnoses of disease, and is designed to incorporate additional protein assays as new biomarkers are discovered.
Sunbird is among several companies seeking to provide less invasive and more accessible alternatives to traditional neurodegenerative disease diagnostics, such as PET scans or cerebrospinal fluid analysis via spinal taps.
Sunbird’s APEX Aβ test, an investigational blood-based diagnostic for Alzheimer’s disease, which accurately detects low levels of amyloid beta in blood, reflecting the build-up of plaques in the brain – a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The platform analyzes extracellular vesicle-associated amyloid beta that crosses the blood-brain barrier, offering a scalable and cost-effective alternative to PET scans.
In a recent clinical study, the APEX test accurately discriminated between patients with and without amyloid beta accumulation, aligning with results from PET scans. These findings suggest that the test can measure relevant protein aggregates in the blood, correlating with brain pathology.
The new funding round included investments from Eli Lilly and the Singapore Economic Development Board’s investment arm, EDBI, along with ongoing support from previous investors ClavystBio, Polaris Partners and S32. The newly raised funds will facilitate continued clinical development of Sunbird’s platform, including opening a state-of-the-art laboratory and initiating further clinical trials by early 2025.
“This funding will enable us to accelerate the clinical development of our blood-based platform, which will offer physicians and patients multiple advantages as compared to currently available tests,” said John McDonough, CEO of Sunbird Bio. “With investment from two additional organizations that bring valuable strategic influence, we’re even better positioned to positively impact the millions of people globally who are affected by devastating neurological diseases.”
