SAN DIEGO, Sept. 29, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amydis Diagnostics, Inc., a preclinical stage, privately-held pharmaceutical company developing proprietary chemistry and innovative approaches to detection of amyloidgenic protein-associated diseases, today announced a grant award by the National Institute of Aging (NIA), a center of the National Institute of Health (NIH). The grant award will fund research and development of a novel family of fluorescent probes to be used as diagnostic agents to image neurodegenerative diseases through an innovative ophthalmic approach.

According to the World Alzheimer 2015 reports, there is estimated to be 46.8 million people with dementia worldwide. There will be an estimated 9.9 million new cases of dementia in 2015, equivalent to one every 3.2 seconds. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia. It accounts for an estimated 60 percent to 80 percent of dementia cases.

“The company is extremely pleased to receive this award. It will allow Amydis to further develop our technology and bring a promising opportunity to the marketplace for the detection of AD,” said Stella Sarraf, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Amydis Diagnostics, Inc.

Currently, diagnosis of amyloid-associated dementias in individuals showing symptoms of cognitive decline is extremely difficult, requiring multiple modes of testing over months to years. Early, presymptomatic diagnosis is even more challenging, if not impossible, with currently available technology. A simple and reliable method to identify the protein makeup of amyloid deposits in living patients could significantly aid in disease diagnosis, allowing the opportunity for disease-modifying therapeutic intervention. Through this award, Amydis aims to develop much needed diagnostic agents through an innovative approach utilizing standard technology available in eye care specialist offices.

About Amydis
Amydis is leading the way for early detection of diseases through the eye that is accessible, affordable and non-invasive. The company is developing proprietary ocular tracers that enable identification of molecular biomarkers for diseases of the eye, heart and brain. Amydis is creating a data warehouse for multi-omics that includes unique molecular biomarkers of the eye to empower AI-enabled health insights. The Company’s digital health solutions leverage the eye as the “window to the body” to accelerate diagnoses, enable precision treatment and improve patient outcomes. For more information contact: info@amydis.com