Biogen Inc., Beckman Coulter, Inc. (both based in the US) and Japan-based Fujirebio have announced a collaboration to potentially identify and develop blood-based biomarkers for tau pathology in the brain and to potentially clinically advance and potentially commercialise new tests for tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

The development of tau-specific blood-based biomarkers that can measure a patient’s tau burden could provide critical insights into the underlying pathological processes of AD and may help advance the development of a new generation of therapies impacting tau pathology.

Through this collaboration, the companies will work to identify new blood-based biomarkers and advance known blood-based biomarkers for tau pathology in AD. The collaboration aims to develop and clinically advance new tools that measure brain tau pathology to potentially stratify patients or monitor treatment response in AD clinical trials. The collaboration has the potential to advance tau-specific blood-based biomarkers and diagnostic tools that could be used not only in clinical trials, but also in clinical practice to enable adoption of future therapies impacting tau pathology.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Biogen will provide Alzheimer's clinical study data and expertise in biomarker research to prioritize markers for tau pathology. Fujirebio and Beckman Coulter will be responsible for providing diagnostic development, manufacturing and commercialisation.