Labcorp, a leading American life science and health diagnostics company, has announced the launch of a new widely accessible test for identifying and confirming neurodegenerative disease called the 'Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL)' blood test.
The new test will enable doctors to accurately identify signs of neurodegeneration and neuronal injury, which otherwise are very difficult conditions to detect or predict. If a patient's tests come back with elevated NfL levels, doctors will be signaled that neurodegeneration is present, which could be caused by Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, a concussion, and other conditions.
"In making this test widely available, Labcorp is supporting neurologists with a tool they’ve been asking for that enables faster diagnoses, better treatment decisions and improved patient care. It’s a major step forward in the monitoring and identification of patients with neuronal injury due to disease or trauma," said Dr. Brian Caveney, chief medical officer and President, Labcorp Diagnostics.
Neurodegenerative Disease Tests
Labcorp Debuts First Public Test for Identifying Neurodegeneration
Trend Themes
1. Neurodegenerative Disease Diagnosis - The Labcorp NfL blood test provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for the emerging trend of accurate and accessible neurodegenerative disease diagnosis.
2. Biotech Health Diagnostics - The NfL blood test presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for biotech health diagnostics companies seeking to expand their offerings into the growing field of neurodegenerative disease testing.
3. Personalized Medicine - The accuracy of the NfL blood test provides a disruptive innovation opportunity for personalized medicine companies seeking to improve treatment decisions for patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
Industry Implications
1. Health Diagnostics - The NfL blood test can disrupt the health diagnostics industry by providing a more efficient and effective way of identifying neurodegenerative diseases.
2. Biotechnology - Biotechnology companies can take advantage of Labcorp's NfL blood test by developing new treatments and therapies for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.
3. Neurology - The NfL blood test can revolutionize the field of neurology by allowing for earlier detection and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, leading to improved patient outcomes.