Amprion raises $6M to develop test for Parkinson’s disease

Amprion has secured $6 million of a $15 million financing deal to advance and commercialize SAAmplify, its diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions linked to toxic alpha-synuclein clumps. Launched in the U.S. this year, SAAmplify helps diagnose Parkinson’s, especially in its early stages, by detecting the presence of misfolded alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The test builds on Amprion’s earlier SYNTap technology, which was introduced in 2021. SAAmplify is currently the only validated seed amplification assay for diagnosing synucleinopathies like Parkinson’s, which have traditionally been diagnosed based on clinical symptoms alone. The test works by introducing alpha-synuclein seeds into a CSF sample to see if they trigger further clumping, mimicking the prion-like spread of these toxic aggregates in the brain. Studies have shown SAAmplify to have high sensitivity and specificity in detecting these protein clumps. The financing round, led by Formation Venture Engineering and supported by Eli Lilly and other investors, will help Amprion continue developing precision medicine approaches for neurodegenerative diseases. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also encouraged the use of synSAA in research and clinical trials aimed at delaying or preventing Parkinson’s.