Pre Diagnostics x Innovayt // RIA
Pre Diagnostics is spearheading the development of next generation fluid biomarkers within neurodegenerative diseases, aiming for drastically improved early diagnosis and drug development. Together with seven consortium partners and two affiliated entities, Pre Diagnostics will be the scientific leader of FluiDx-AD, the pioneering project to revolutionise the way Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is detected and managed. Following a close-to-flawless evaluation, the consortium recently signed a multi-million EU grant agreement with the European Commission for the highly competitive Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) funding instrument.
Detecting and preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
The FluiDx-AD project aims to transform Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis by introducing first-in-class In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) tests, detecting traits of the disease years before symptoms appear. The proprietary Pre Diagnostics tests detect unique biomarkers in bodily fluids such as saliva and blood, making the testing procedure non-invasive, affordable, and accessible. By focusing on early detection, FluiDx-AD has the potential to give patients earlier access to preventative interventions and better quality of life.
The Pre Diagnostics’ AD tests (“PreADx”) address the entire diagnostic journey, from population-wide screenings and confirmatory diagnoses to downstream patient stratification and monitoring. This comprehensive application further paves the way for improved patient selection and appraisal in clinical trials of upcoming immunotherapies for AD. In other words, the PreADx tests will increase the assurance that patients receive the right treatment.
In short, the FluiDx-AD project holds the potential to reshape Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis and treatment by enabling earlier and more accurate detection, aiming to improve patient outcomes and the standard of care.
Pre Diagnostics is the initiator and Scientific Coordinator, while Oslo University Hospital is the Coordinator of the FluiDx-AD consortium which also includes HemoDx AS, Medip Analytics BV, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Fundación CIEN, Helsinki University Hospital, and Alzheimer Europe as partners, as well as Pre Neurolab AS and Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino as affiliated entities.
Securing a multi-million EU grant
The FluiDx-AD consortium recently secured €7.7 million in grant from the highly competitive RIA programme, a Collaborative Project under Horizon Europe. The excellent scoring and significant funding demonstrate EU‘s confidence in the relevance and potential of the FluiDx-AD project. With the support from EU, the FluiDx-AD consortium will be able to further develop and validate the proprietary Pre Diagnostics’ AD tests across Europe, bringing the tests closer to market.
Well before the application writing began, a key step to ensure success was to carry out a solid funding match and strategy. Together with Norway Health Tech, Innovayt helped Pre Diagnostics to find and validate the match between the FluiDx-AD project and the specific RIA call. Innovation Norway and the Research Council of Norway also contributed to define the broader EU funding strategy for Pre Diagnostics to further validate and bring its tests to market. Innovayt worked closely together with Pre Diagnostics and the FluiDx-AD consortium to prepare the successful two-step written proposal, which required extensive details and careful coordination with multiple partners.
Working with Innovayt has been rewarding, not only in regards to securing significant support but also as a learning experience. We learned and gained a lot from the highly set standards, constructive feedback, and competent input provided by Innovayt throughout the process. Special shout-out to both Innovayt and Norway Health Tech for playing such key roles in finding and validating the funding match, as well as to Innovayt for then assisting in preparing such high-quality proposal. The secured grant is of great importance, the project is now fully funded for three and a half years which allows us to completely focus on developing our FluiDx-AD tests and creating important value.
– Håkon Sæterøy, CEO at Pre Diagnostics
Pre Diagnostics is a recurrent Innovayt client. Previous collaborations include securing €1.7 million from the Norwegian IPN grant programme, short for Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector and organised by the Research Council of Norway, and €2.4 million from the European SME Instrument under Horizon 2020, the former EIC Accelerator programme under Horizon Europe.
Research and Innovation Actions
Through the RIA programme and calls, the European Commission supports the establishment of new knowledge and the exploration of new or improved technology, products, processes, services, or solutions by granting up to 100% of the project costs. Do not hesitate to reach out to Innovayt, if you would like to be our next success case.