EONE to lead state-sponsored effort to fight dementia
EONE-DIAGNOMICS Genome Center CEO Shin Shang-cheol Courtesy of EDGC
By Oh Young-jin
EONE-DIAGNOMICS Genome Center (EDGC), Korea's personalized precision medicine solutions provider, has been selected to form a consortium with the top three medical facilities to establish a platform for medical services dealing with cases of mild cognitive impairment ― the stage just before dementia.
EDGC said Thursday that the project will receive 9 billion won in state funds over the next three years, being designated for the PREMIER project by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The consortium also includes, among others, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital and Korea University Medical Center.
Its key task is to set up the precision medical service platform for the prognostics, management and improvement tailored for different degrees of risk of cognitive impairment and to support clinical tests and the development of medical equipment.
The data shows that about 10 to 15 percent of cases of mild cognitive impairment degenerate into dementia on an annual basis, making it very important to prognosticate and take preemptive steps.
EDGC will together with Samsung Medical lead the entire project from diagnosis, prognostication, the development of medical equipment, as well as prevention and management services.
The project is composed of three stages: research and development of medical equipment; development of prognostic kits and related systems; and formation of a network involving 14 dementia centers and hospitals.
"Once commercialized, it would be possible to prognosticate cases of dementia or Alzheimer's, treat them at the early stages and identify their types, providing better medical services for the nation," one EDGC official was quoted as saying.