Manuscript Showcases Octave’s Innovative Biomarker Selection Research Prior to Creating its Novel, Multivariate Biomarker Test for Measuring Disease Activity (MSDA) in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Octave^® Bioscience, Inc., a leading precision care company that delivers a new standard for managing multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the publication of a landmark manuscript in the prestigious journal, Nature Communications. The manuscript reports on several studies demonstrating Octave's innovative, multi-protein approach to characterize disease activity in MS patients through a comprehensive biomarker panel that includes distinct proteins associated with different cell types, pathways, and mechanisms.

Octave’s studies featured in the manuscript included world-class cohorts including CLIMB from Brigham and Women’s, EPIC from UCSF, and the Accelerated Cure Project Biorepository. This work preceded and made possible the analytical and clinical validation studies for Octave’s multi-protein biomarker test, Multiple Sclerosis Disease Activity (MSDA), which were both previously published.

The research titled “Inflammatory and neurodegenerative serum protein biomarkers increase sensitivity to detect clinical and radiographic disease activity in multiple sclerosis,” shows that multiple proteins with diverse biological functions were found to have associations with multiple sclerosis endpoints of disease activity. In addition, the research indicates multi-protein models have stronger associations than any single protein models.

“Recognition by the Nature portfolio of journals is an honor and we are appreciative of the great collaboration with the lead and contributing authors from Brigham and Women's Hospital and The University of California San Francisco (UCSF). Their work added an impressive level of scientific credibility and rigor to our analysis,” said Ferhan Qureshi, Octave’s Senior Vice President, Biomarker R&D. “This manuscript sheds light on the power of our multianalyte biomarker approach to reveal biological insights that go beyond any single blood-based biomarker.”

In the study, researchers analyzed over 1,400 proteins in 630 samples from three different MS patient cohorts to identify biomarkers associated with new disease activity. They found twenty proteins that were linked to increased clinical and radiographic MS disease activity which were used to create the custom assay panel for the Octave MSDA test. The use of multiple biomarkers for modeling outperformed using any single biomarker, suggesting that a comprehensive, multianalyte approach, like Octave’s MSDA test, can better characterize disease activity in MS patients.

“Given the heterogeneity of MS, it can be difficult to help patients navigate the disease. Our collaborative work described in Nature Communications is an important contribution to MS patient care, and we are pleased to participate in research on a multi-protein biomarker approach that will advance the field,” said Dr. Tanuja Chitnis, MD, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the CLIMB Study at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and lead author. Chitnis has consulted for and received research support from Octave.

“This paper will be a pivotal milestone in the long road of finding effective biomarkers in MS. In my mind, Octave has done what few others have,” said Sergio E. Baranzini, Distinguished Professor of Neurology UCSF, senior author and lead researcher for the study. “The identification of multiple cohorts that can replicate each other is challenging to do, but essential in creating a credible dataset.”

"By providing a more comprehensive picture of disease activity, Octave's Precision Care solution and its MSDA test can help empower those living with MS and their healthcare providers to make more informed decisions about their care. We are thrilled that our Repository samples and data have helped to enable this research," said Sara Loud, CEO, Accelerated Cure Project (ACP), a non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating research efforts to improve diagnosis, to optimize treatment, and to cure multiple sclerosis.

“MS is a complex, heterogeneous disease, affecting all patients differently which makes diagnosis and prognosis difficult, and the industry has lacked dynamic, quantitative tools to measure disease activity over time,” said Doug Biehn, CEO of Octave. “The work outlined in the Nature Communications manuscript was a key step in developing our MSDA Test, the first and only multi-protein serum-based biomarker assay designed to quantitatively measure the disease activity of patients with MS, and enable more informed, actionable clinical decisions for improved disease management.”

Octave’s Precision Care Solution is now in use at 10 of the top 20 MS Centers of Excellence, leading academic centers, and high-volume independent clinics across the U.S.

About Octave^® Bioscience, Inc.

Octave^® Bioscience, Inc. is a leading precision care company delivering a new paradigm of care for multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases. Octave’s Precision Care Solution is the industry’s first set of precision measurement tools that accurately and objectively measure disease activity, progression, and severity, allowing for better management of complex and high-cost neurodegenerative diseases, starting with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The Octave Solution includes proteomics, including the Octave MSDA Test, the first and only clinically validated multivariate blood test, that measures disease activity; AI MRI imaging capabilities; and a virtual care management tool that tracks and connects patients with MS certified nurse care partners in real time. By combining and analyzing multiple biological and contextual layers of data, delivering longitudinal and holistic perspectives of each patient, and revealing insights at population levels, the Octave Solution addresses unmet needs across the entire ecosystem of care, from patients and providers to pharma and payers. Octave is currently collaborating with leading clinics, payers, and pharma companies nationwide, solidifying its leadership in advancing precision medicine and transforming the landscape of neurodegenerative disease care.

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