As the focus in Alzheimer's moves ever more towards treating early disease, there has been a parallel upswing in diagnostics companies and researchers developing blood tests for Alzheimer's disease. One firm, Norway's Pre Diagnostics, is taking a different approach that it believes will give it the edge over its rivals. Madeleine Armstrong spoke to chief scientific officer Frank Swenson

Research led by UK company Proteome Sciences and King's College London could lead to a clinical blood test for Alzheimer's disease within five years, and, more immediately, could be helpful in selecting patients for clinical trials of new drugs for the condition. Given the enormous failure rate for drug trials in this indication, it is thought that recruiting patients to drug trials earlier in the disease process before irreversible damage is caused could prove more effective, especially as it is thought that Alzheimer's can be asymptomatic for up to ten years.

U.K-based firm Proteome Sciences eyes the niche for a non-animal sensitivity test. Cosmetics Europe names its SensiDerm assay a first priority for funding.

The proteomics and peptidomics company Proteome Sciences is looking for pharma company partners to take its novel CK1D inhibitors into the clinic in Alzheimer's disease after achieving in vivo proof of concept for the oral compounds.