Press Release

Nov 21, 2022
First Choice Neurology tests first patients with the Alzheimer’s Risk Test

FCN physicians can now assess an individual’s genetic risk of Alzheimer’s disease and provide support with lifestyle changes and therapy to delay the onset of disease symptoms
FCN rolling out test across its network of clinics in Florida and will provide telemedicine remote consultations to out-of-state individuals 

21st October 2022: Oxford and Manchester, UK; Medley, Florida.  First Choice Neurology is entering into a strategic partnership to provide the Sampled Alzheimer’s Risk Test, powered by Cytox’s genoSCORETM, to patients within the FCN network. 

First Choice Neurology (FCN) is the largest neurology group in the US with more than 41 facilities in 6 Florida counties and services at 35 major hospitals. FCN offers neurology services as well as diagnostic and rehabilitative services with the mission to improve quality while providing those services in a cost-effective manner to the communities they serve. 

As part of this commitment, FCN will be providing the Sampled Alzheimer's Risk Test, powered by genoSCORE, a new non-invasive, genetic test to assess the risk of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from a simple saliva sample. FCN physicians will be using the test to assess patients for the risk of developing Alzheimer's before symptoms arise, and prior to invasive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing or expensive scanning techniques. Furthermore, the test’s simplicity of use enables patients not wishing or easily able to attend healthcare settings, to provide a sample from home.

Dr. Richard Pither, CEO of Cytox, commented: “At Cytox our mission is to transform how people are managed within the Alzheimer’s disease care pathway. Our genoSCORE technology, which powers the Sampled Alzheimer’s Risk Test, enables physicians to make immediate decisions about their patients’ risk of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease. As such, we are delighted to bring the test to the FCN network of practitioners to support its community across Florida and beyond.  

Dr. Jeff Gelblum, of First Choice Neurology, explained, “First Choice Neurology is one of the leading neurology groups in the US. To support our patient community, we are constantly seeking to bring new medical technologies into our practices and out to our patients. Alzheimer’s disease affects over 46 million people in the world1. We see this new test as a powerful tool to guide patients towards effective lifestyle and therapeutic interventions that can have a significant impact on delaying the onset of disease symptoms and cognitive decline2.”

If you are interested in taking the Alzheimer’s Risk Test, or hearing more about the test, please contact First Choice Neurology or go to www.alzheimers-risk-test.com.

About Cytox (www.cytoxgroup.com)
Cytox Limited aims to enable everyone to know their personal risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Cytox supports two products in the market, powered by its genoSCORE™ Polygenic Risk Scoring technology. In the US, Cytox has partnered with Sampled Smart Labs which has developed the Alzheimer’s Risk Test, powered by genoSCORE™ (www.alzheimers-risk-test.com). In Europe Cytox, with its partner Yourgene Health, markets genoSCORE-LAB (www.genoscore-lab.com).

About genoSCORE™
The genoSCORE™ technology is used to assess the genetic risk of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The test, which uses a simple blood or saliva sample, analyses over 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - small genetic variations - that are associated with AD. As such, the test generates a patient-specific polygenic risk score (PRS). Clinicians can use the test to assess patients for the risk of developing Alzheimer's, including before symptoms arise. In addition, the test can be used by developers of new AD drugs to identify individuals most likely to experience cognitive decline and/or respond to the therapy under investigation.

About Sampled and Sampled SMART Labs
Sampled is a next-generation laboratory that unlocks the valuable data in any biological sample to enable health innovators to improve human health. The integrated services offered by Sampled SMART Labs provide partners with a seamless solution for sample management and analysis. Sampled is headquartered in Piscataway, N.J. with labs across the US and Europe and partner labs in the Netherlands, China, and Australia. Infinity BiologiX LLC, Roylance Stability Storage Limited, and Roylance Scientific Limited are doing business as Sampled. For more information, visit www.sampled.com.

About Yourgene Health
Yourgene Health is an international molecular diagnostics group which develops integrated genomic technologies and services enabling precision medicine. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science. Yourgene Health is headquartered in Manchester, UK with offices in Taipei, Singapore, the US, and Canada, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange's AIM market under the ticker "YGEN". For more information visit www.yourgene-health.com.

References:

World Alzheimer’s Report 2015 www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2015.pdf
Lancet Commission: Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32738937/