Grifols Receives $21M to Study Parkinson’s Plasma Samples

Grifols has received $21 million from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to fund a pilot study analyzing the company’s repository of longitudinal Parkinson’s disease (PD) plasma samples in hopes of developing an early-warning system for the emergence of PD. The pilot program Chronos-PD will cover a period of up to 10 years and is aimed at tracking how distinct plasma proteins evolve over time in people with PD.

“Going back in time to search for the earliest signs of PD, even before symptoms appear, has potential to revolutionize PD management,” stated Grifols Chief Scientific Innovation Officer Jörg Schüttrumpf, MD. “The hope is to accelerate and ultimately develop new diagnostics and disease-modifying therapeutics that could mitigate or even prevent the condition from manifesting itself. Our vision is that this platform continues to grow in terms of knowledge, partnerships and its ability to help society advance in fighting some of the world’s most pressing public health challenges.”

Operating 390 plasma collection centers in North America and around the world, Grifols has collected more than 100 million biospecimens representing thousands of disease states, including PD. Grifols’ subsidiary Alkahest will lead the initiative using artificial intelligence and integrative analysis of multiomics and real-world data.