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The Technology
AGX-020 Product Characteristics and Development
A marker of disease activity in arthritis
In studies that compare the levels of AGX-020 in normal individuals and arthritis
patients, the protein is seen at significantly higher levels in arthritis.
AGX-020 provides disease-specific information beyond the level of inflammation,
which current blood tests provide.
Earlier detection + Earlier Treatment = Less Joint Damage
AGX-020 is present in several forms of arthritis to varying degrees.
Rheumatologists have expressed a need for a blood test that can differentiate, at
the earliest stages, inflammatory from non-inflammatory arthritis diseases.
Identifying rheumatoid arthritis patients earlier allows patients to be referred
to a rheumatologist sooner for effective treatment that can slow down or even
halt the progression of irreversible joint damage.
A Blood Test: A simple alternative to current clinical measures in arthritis
Blood levels of AGX-020 will allow physicians to assess the degree of disease activity
in the joint through a simple blood test at the time of diagnosis and through follow-up
visits. AGX-020 is an objective test providing an alternative to current disease activity
measures in arthritis, such as disease activity score (DAS), health assessment questionnaire
(HAQ) and swollen and tender joint counts, which are based on subjective clinical
assessments. Implementation of the biomarker with normal serological tests performed
for arthritis, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate
(ESR), will assist in assessing disease status and progression.
Usefulness in drug clinical trials and patient monitoring
Blood levels of AGX-020 decrease significantly over a 3 month period in rheumatoid
arthritis patients who respond to certain biological therapies while it decreases
less so in patients who do not respond. In addition to a clinical assessment by
the physician, AGX-020 will provide a quantitative readout of the blood levels of
the protein to provide an objective measure of response to therapy.
Potential for bedside or doctor’s office use
AGX-020 is measurable in as little as a blood drop, which makes it a potentially
useful tool in hospitals at the bedside or at the doctor’s office through
a rapid test, such as those used for blood sugar testing. In a doctor’s
office, the test results may allow physicians to immediately determine and
compare the patient’s disease activity since the last visit, what drug
to prescribe or make any other relevant medical decision without having to wait
for lab results or require an additional patient visit to follow-up.
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