MERCK
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
Ageneau Group Chooses Generix WMS to Boost Growth21.1.2026 09:00:00 CET | Press release
Generix, a global business software company offering an expansive portfolio of SaaS solutions for supply chain, finance, commerce, and B2B integration, announces that Ageneau Group, a French transportation, logistics, and training company, has chosen Generix WMS and TradeXpress to modernize operational processes at its Angers (Trélazé) site, which has a covered area of 9,000 m² and state-of-the-art technological equipment, including automated guided vehicles (AGVs). “We needed a powerful and scalable tool that was in line with our values of cohesion, respect, and innovation. Generix was able to meet 100% of our specifications and support us with transparency and expertise,” said Arnaud Ageneau, co-director of processes, purchasing, and IT at the Ageneau Group. To support its growth and meet the changing needs of its customers, the Ageneau Group was looking for a solution capable of digitizing its operations, optimizing its flows, and providing advanced logistics to its teams. The group
International Zinc Association Partners With Pharmanova to Save Children in Zambia21.1.2026 09:00:00 CET | Press release
Zinc Saves Kids, a global child‑health initiative of the International Zinc Association (IZA), has announced a new partnership with leading Zambian pharmaceutical manufacturer Pharmanova Zambia Limited to expand access to life‑saving zinc treatments for children across Zambia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260121178091/en/ Life-saving zinc-supplementation and oral rehydration salts kits are proactively distributed to Zambian children through the works of the International Zinc Association, Pharmanova, and the Zambian Ministries of Health and Education. The collaboration was formally celebrated during a ceremony in Lusaka with the Zambian Ministry of Health, Pharmanova Zambia Limited, and IZA represented by Environment Health & Sustainability Director Dr. Eric Van Genderen. IZA and Pharmanova have united in an effort to scale up treatment for childhood diarrhea using zinc, an essential micronutrient that stre
LatticeFlow AI Acquires AI Sonar, the Leading AI Discovery Platform, to Enable End-to-End, Secure AI Governance21.1.2026 08:22:00 CET | Press release
The acquisition establishes LatticeFlow AI as the industry’s first evidence-based AI governance solution, securely connecting on-prem AI discovery and evaluation with centralized governance operations LatticeFlow AI, a Swiss deep-tech company leading evidence-based AI governance, today announced during the World Economic Forum (WEF) the acquisition of Dublin-based AI Sonar Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of CloudSphere Ltd. AI Sonar’s leading edge AI discovery platform allows enterprises and ISVs to detect shadow AI. AI Sonar’s solution will continue to be offered under its brand name by LatticeFlow AI. With this acquisition, LatticeFlow AI will introduce the industry’s first end-to-end, evidence-based AI governance solution securely connecting on-prem AI discovery and evaluations with centralized SaaS governance operations, and covering GenAI, agentic and traditional AI systems. As part of the acquisition, LatticeFlow AI assumes full ownership of AI Sonar’s platform, intellectual prope
Ramboll and Acutro Form Strategic Alliance to Drive Smarter, More Sustainable Intelligent Buildings21.1.2026 08:13:00 CET | Press release
Ramboll, a global leader in engineering, architecture, and consultancy, has entered into a strategic, collaborative partnership with Acutro, specialists in building performance improvement and predictive, data-led maintenance. The partnership brings together Ramboll’s global engineering expertise and Acutro’s digital building intelligence capabilities, creating synergies that support innovation, learning, and value creation for both organisations and their clients. The collaboration enables Ramboll to explore advanced building intelligence tools that can strengthen its digital design capability, while providing Acutro with the opportunity to apply and evolve its platform across complex, real-world projects. Together, the partners will help clients make more informed decisions about performance, lifecycle value, and operational risk. The multi-year relationship provides Ramboll with access to Acutro’s cloud-native platform, creating opportunities to integrate real-time performance analy
STREAMWIDE Marks Major APAC Milestone with UPCAD Public Safety Deployment in the Philippines21.1.2026 08:00:00 CET | Press release
STREAMWIDE has been selected by UPCAD (Unified Platform for Communication and Dispatch) of the Philippines to power its next generation critical communications platform for first responders integrated with national 911 call centers. Through this collaboration, UPCAD integrates STREAMWIDE’s field proven mission critical technology with the national 911 services, the new solution is designed to ensure uninterrupted, secure, and reliable communication during emergencies, enabling faster response times, improved situational awareness, and enhanced public safety outcomes. By integrating directly with 911 call centers, the platform enables real-time sharing of critical information such as caller location, incident details, and response status with first responders and command teams. Through our API, the platform integrates digital workflow capabilities, allowing information to flow seamlessly into the same system. This enables up-to-date reporting while automatically creating incident workfl
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