CHRONOS-PD: Research in Parkinson's disease

Grifols has been conserving plasma samples for nearly 15 years. Researchers at our subsidiary, Alkahest, are now studying these biospecimens from the past to identify early biological signals – called biomarkers – of diseases in plasma proteins.

Grifols bank of plasma samples is one of the world's largest, with more than 100 million samples collected and connected to real-world data. They represent thousands of different disease states across many indications and likely contain evidence of protein changes in plasma that indicate the eventual onset of disease. 

Alkahest data scientists are combining their specialization in the use of artificial intelligence, integrative analysis of multiomics and real-world data in diagnostic and therapeutic drug discovery to analyze hundreds of thousands of proteins present in these plasma samples. This innovative approach aims to accelerate the development of new diagnostic tools and disease-modifying therapeutics and potentially predict which patients might have an increased chance of developing specific diseases in the future.

We are initially starting with Parkinson’s disease (PD) through a $21 million award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). Researchers are analyzing, for the first time, longitudinal plasma samples covering a period of up to 10 years. This will enable us to track how distinct plasma proteins evolve over time in people with PD, which could help establish an early-warning system for the emergence of the disease.

Despite decades of research and treatment advancement, understanding the drivers of the disease remains limited. This leaves early detection biomarkers as one of the most urgent needs for making further headway in PD therapeutic interventions to halt, if not change the course of, the disease before it is too late.

Grifols’ vision is that the 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.