SphygmoCor selected for French Alzheimer’s trial
THE ROADHOUSE PHARMACY: AtCor Medical (ASX: ACG), the developer and marketer of the SphygmoCor® system, has been awarded a competitive tender to provide SphygmoCor XCEL systems for a multi-centre trial in France.
The SphygmoCor system measures central aortic blood pressures and arterial stiffness noninvasively.
The study is being coordinated by the Universitaire (CHU) de Bordeaux.
AtCor said the study is to determine the relationship between arterial stiffness, as measured by Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV), and the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
Pulse wave velocity is a measure of how fast pressure waves move through blood vessels.
The study will also measure cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks, and also examine if high levels of pulse wave velocity – known to increase cardiovascular risk – also influence the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
AtCor claimed the selection of SphygmoCor XCEL was attributed to its ease of use, extensive capability and its reputation as the gold standard for measuring arterial stiffness and central aortic pressures.
The company explained Universitaire’s trial is also a part of a larger trial: A Cohort of Outpatients from French Research Memory Centers in Order to Improve Knowledge on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders.
More than 36 million people suffer from dementia worldwide and this is expected to triple by 2050.
Alzheimer’s disease represents 60 per cent to 80 per cent of dementia cases.
In the US, AtCor’s largest market, an estimated 5.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease which is the sixth leading cause of death.
“This new contract extends SphygmoCor’s clinical trial use to brain illnesses,” AtCor Medical CEO and president Duncan Ross said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“Alzheimer’s treatment is at the forefront of biomedical research and much of what is known has been discovered in the last 15 years.
“Our experience will establish a footprint for AtCor in this important growing market.”
Alzheimer’s disease is understood to be connected to the accumulation of beta amyloid plaques in the brain, which come from a larger protein in the surrounding nerve cells.
“While knowledge of what causes death and tissue loss in Alzheimer’s is not definitive, the accumulation of plaques is directly related to large artery stiffness,” Ross continued.
“This can be accurately measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and pulse wave reflection.
“We believe that increased understanding of Alzheimer’s could lead to more timely intervention and treatment, slowing disease progression.
“As the SphygmoCor is the market leader in measuring carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, dementia is an area where we expect SphygmoCor will be able to provide substantial benefit to both patients and payers.”
Website: www.atcormedical.com