MERCK
18.6.2024 14:01:30 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Merck, a leading science and technology company, and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), are advancing research aimed at slowing progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Through funding from MJFF’s “Biomarkers to Support Therapeutic Trials Program”, Merck's SMCxPRO® immunoassay technology has been used to help detect low levels of a biomarker associated with cell dysfunction in patients. Now, the service is available to the scientific community through support from the MJFF. This will make it possible to track the response of different therapeutic options to disease progression.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240618168747/en/
(Photo: Business Wire)
“Using the SMCxPRO® immunoassay technology to assess cell dysfunction represents a significant step forward in developing new treatment options for people fighting PD,” said Jean-Charles Wirth, Head of Science & Lab Solutions, Life Science business sector of Merck. “We’re proud to offer our service through support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation to make this research possible. Our goal is to empower breakthroughs in neuroscience research tools and other technologies that impact life and health with science.”
The research is focused on the biomarker pS65 ubiquitin (pS65-Ub). PD is a neurodegenerative disease that predominantly affects certain nerve cells in a specific area of the brain. By the time motor symptoms become visible, 60% to 80% of these cells have already been lost or impaired. Before that, affected cells stop functioning properly, which ultimately leads to their death. One readout of dysfunction in these cells is pS65-Ub. Extremely sensitive test methods are required to detect it. Using the SMCxPRO® immunoassay platform, used to quantify levels of a specific target within a sample, scientists can now detect small concentrations of pS65-Ub. This helps, for the first time, to track the response of different therapeutic options on disease progression.
“Ultrasensitive assays allow us to research multiple biomarkers we know play a role in disease progression. These would be valuable to diagnose and stratify patients and for future therapeutic development. Current known therapies for PD can treat symptoms but do not slow or halt disease progression. We are hopeful this collaboration will contribute to improved quality of life for patients,” said Nicole Polinski, PhD, director of research resources at MJFF.
Currently, PD impacts around 10 million people worldwide. Its prevalence has doubled in the past 25 years, making it the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world. The number of people with the disease is expected to further grow to 20 million by the year 2050. Merck’s contribution to Parkinson research has been recognized by CiteAb Awards, based on being the company with the most citations related to Parkinson’s research in 2023.
About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across life science, healthcare and electronics. Around 63,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From providing products and services that accelerate drug development and manufacturing as well as discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2023, Merck generated sales of € 21 billion in 65 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as MilliporeSigma in life science, EMD Serono in healthcare, and EMD Electronics in electronics.
All Merck press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240618168747/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Nanochon Receives Regulatory Approval from Panamá’s Ministry of Health to Initiate First-in-Human Clinical Study of Chondrograft™17.8.2026 21:44:00 CEST | Press release
Nanochon, a medical device company developing Chondrograft™, a novel patented implant for the treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee, today announced that it has received regulatory approval from Panamá’s Ministry of Health to initiate its First-in-Human (FIH) clinical study in Panamá. The study will evaluate the safety and performance of Chondrograft™ in patients with focal chondral defects of the knee and represents a major milestone in the company’s clinical and regulatory development strategy. The trial will be conducted at The Panama Clinic in Panamá City under the leadership of Drs. Juan Osorio and Emilio Tufiño, experienced sports medicine surgeons, with Dr. Osorio serving as Principal Investigator for the study. Dr. Osorio stated, “I am pleased to be the Principal Investigator for this important study, and we look forward to contributing the data that will support a larger clinical study and subsequent market entry.” Nanochon selected Panamá for its growing reputa
TOURISE and Oxford Economics Release New Global Report on Tourism Resilience in an Era of Permanent Disruption17.8.2026 16:33:00 CEST | Press release
New analysis shows destinations that assume risk will recover up to 1.5 times faster with global rehabilitation times dropping from 24 months to as little as 10 TOURISE, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, today released a new report, “Resilience in a World that Doesn’t Reset: Redesigning Tourism for an Era of Permanent Disruption.” The analysis of 85 major crises over two decades shows a clear pattern: in a world defined by continuous shocks, destinations that act before disruption hits recover up to 1.5 times faster than those that wait. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260817880835/en/ “In a world that does not reset between crises, disruption is a constant feature of the global tourism landscape,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE. “The real test for destinations measures how they prepare for volatility, protect traveler confidence, and mai
The Expensify Visa® Commercial Card Brings New Proactive Spend Controls to 14 Countries17.8.2026 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
New admin-defined spend rules let businesses control how, where, and when every card is used, stopping the wrong spend before it happens instead of cleaning it up after. Expensify, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXFY), the easiest way to manage expenses, travel, and corporate cards, today expanded the reach of Expensify Card spend rules, the market-leading way for businesses to control corporate card spend before it happens. Available to businesses in 14 countries, spend rules let admins decide exactly how, where, and when each Expensify Card can be used, so only compliant transactions go through. Unlike traditional corporate cards that rely on after-the-fact expense review, the Expensify Card enforces policy at the point of purchase. Admins set the rules once, and the card handles the rest. With Expensify Card spend rules, admins can: Lock a card to a subscription. Give each recurring SaaS tool its own virtual card, so a vendor can only ever charge what it should. If the card owner changes teams or le
Riskified Analysis Finds Travel Fraudsters Are Adapting Faster Than Traditional Signals Can Keep Up, With May Flight Risk Up 32%17.8.2026 14:30:00 CEST | Press release
New Travel Industry report reveals sophisticated fraud rings are exploiting trusted customer behaviors across flights, hotels, and travel platforms Riskified (NYSE: RSKD), a global leader in ecommerce fraud and risk intelligence, today released new findings from its Travel Industry Insights report, revealing how sophisticated fraud rings and AI-enabled fraudsters are evolving their tactics across airlines, hotels, and online travel platforms. Riskified’s analysis shows that fraudsters are increasingly adapting their behavior to resemble legitimate travelers, making traditional fraud indicators less reliable and creating new challenges for travel merchants. Riskified’s analysis of hundreds of millions of travel transactions across flights, hotels, and land transportation found that flight fraud risk increased through the first five months of 2026, with May 2026 marking the sharpest year-over-year increase at 32% compared to May 2025. The findings show that sophisticated fraud activity i
PIF Delivers Strong Revenue and Profit Growth in 202517.8.2026 13:54:00 CEST | Press release
Revenue rose 9% to $120 billion while net profit more than doubled to $17 billionCumulative domestic investments reached more than $199 billion since 2021PIF has contributed more than $342 billion to Saudi Arabia’s real non-oil GDP between 2021 and 2025Assets under management exceed $900 billion, up from around $530 in 2021 and $150 billion in 2015 PIF today published its 2025 Annual Report demonstrating strong financial performance and continued progress against its long-term objectives. As a long-term investor with a unique mandate to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia and deliver sustainable financial returns, PIF maintained a diversified portfolio in 2025, balancing returns with national impact and long-term resilience. Maintaining Financial Discipline In 2025, revenue rose 9% year on year to $120 billion, while net profit more than doubled to $17 billion, supported by stronger contributions from maturing portfolio companies. PIF retained over $900 billion in assets
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom