BURLINGTON – Labcorp is rolling out a new test that will allow doctors to “identify and verify” signs of neurogenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the North Carolina-based life science giant announced Wednesday.
The blood test focuses on Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) in which elevated levels signal “neuronal injury,” the company said.
“NfL is a simple, objective blood test that provides direct evidence of neuronal damage,” said Dr. Brian Caveney, chief medical officer and president of Labcorp Diagnostics. “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.”
The test will be the first such one that is widely available, according to Labcorp.
“Importantly, NfL isn’t specific to one disease, but it is highly specific to neuronal damage from a wide variety of causes, from Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis to concussion and physical injury. This test will be impactful in helping many patients,” said Dr. Joseph Volpe, neurology business segment and discipline director at Labcorp. “Serial use of NfL testing can help doctors to follow trends that indicate the effectiveness of medicines or therapies, or whether there is continued injury or disease progression.”
For more information on the NfL test visitt www.labcorp.com/nfl.
