Mumbai: Roche Diagnostics India has launched 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 AD and in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as an aid to identify a higher risk of cognitive decline.
AD has a huge public health impact that includes prevalence, mortality, and morbidity as well as the costs of care. In India alone, more than 5 million people have some form of dementia with AD accounting for an estimated 60% to 80% of cases.
Currently, the diagnosis of AD is largely based on clinical symptoms, including cognitive testing, with a significant number of patients diagnosed when their disease has already advanced. A diagnosis of AD 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.
Narendra Varde, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostic India and Neighboring Markets shares, “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 Alzheimer’s 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 standardized pre-analytical protocol for clinicians and labs to provide reliable, safe and accurate identification of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Adding to this Dheeraj Jain, the Founder & MD of Redcliffe Labs says, “Alzheimer’s has a significant adverse impact on public health, including incidence, mortality, morbidity, and associated costs of care. The availability of an in-vitro diagnostic test that aids timely diagnosis leading to appropriate intervention is a step in the right direction”.
Further Dr Joy Desai, Director & Head, Department of Neurology, The Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre, shares, “In India, many people living with Alzheimer’s are not diagnosed and even among those who are, a large number are unaware of their diagnosis. An early diagnosis can improve the quality of care and quality of life and may reduce the financial and emotional impact of the disease. I am happy that Roche Diagnostics has introduced assays that enable early diagnosis of AD enabling clinicians and patients to better manage the disease.
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.
