Company’s ‘seed amplification’ testing approach detects small amounts of misfolded proteins in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and beyond.
Advanced diagnostics company Amprion has announced the initial $6 million close of a planned $15 million Series B financing million round. The funding will support the commercialization of the company’s neurodegenerative diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Lewy body dementia.
Amprion specializes in something called “seed amplification” testing, an innovative method for detecting misfolded proteins, also known as prion-proteins, which are key biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases. These proteins, once misfolded, can induce other proteins to misfold, spreading throughout the brain and leading to the destruction of neurons. This process occurs long before physical symptoms manifest, making early detection crucial.
The technology behind Amprion’s assays relies on the detection of small amounts of misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins, which are otherwise undetectable using traditional diagnostic methods, and helping identify the presence of these misfolded proteins at earlier stages. The company’s flagship biomarker test detects alpha-synuclein aggregates in cerebrospinal fluid, and is the only seed amplification assay validated for clinical use in diagnosing synucleinopathies – a subgroup of neurodegenerative diseases characterised by impairment of alpha-synuclein metabolism, including Parkinson’s disease, Lewy body dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with Lewy body co-pathology.
Amprion says its diagnostic tests have been validated through extensive published research, with studies confirming the high sensitivity and specificity of the tests. In 2019, the US FDA granted the company a Breakthrough Device Designation for its role in diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, and has also issued a Letter of Support recommending the use of alpha-synuclein seed amplification assays in research and clinical trials.
Formation Venture Engineering (FVE) led the financing, with participation from Eli Lilly and Amprion’s Series A investors. The funds will allow Amprion to expand its commercial presence and invest further in research and development to fulfill its mission of advancing diagnostic precision in brain diseases.
“We believe the shift to diagnosis based on biology, rather than symptomology, will be transformative for patients and clinicians,” said Rahul Bhansali, Managing Partner, FVE.
