Grifols Shares Results From its Chronos Platform Identifying Early Molecular Changes Associated with Parkinson's Disease
- Chronos‑PD shows that biological changes associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) can emerge up to 12 years before clinical diagnosis
- Uncovered reproducible early molecular signals and distinct molecular patterns in PD, supporting future efforts in patient stratification and precision medicine research
- Chronos is part of a broad Grifols program to find early disease biomarkers leveraging more than 100 million proprietary plasma samples connected to real-world data on thousands of conditions
- Grifols presents data in 13 posters and oral presentations at AD/PD™ 2026 conference in Copenhagen (Denmark)
BARCELONA, Spain, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grifols ((MCE:GRF, MCE:GRF.P, NASDAQ:GRFS), a global healthcare company and leading producer of plasma-derived medicines, today shared proof-of-concept data from its Chronos-PD program, demonstrating that biological changes in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) occur more than a decade before clinical diagnosis, with potential future implications for early detection and intervention.
The data has been published as part of a publication in medRxiv and will be shared through 13 posters and presentations at the AD/PD™ 2026 conference taking place March 17-21, 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark. See for presentation details in this link.
Chronos-PD is a pioneering program driven by Grifols' subsidiary Alkahest designed to identify early signs of PD years before clinical diagnosis. Leveraging plasma samples collected over 15 years, the program combines AI, advanced proteomics and real-world data to identify biomarkers that could help predict disease risk and guide future treatments.
The proof-of-concept study, funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), analyzed over 2,600 longitudinal plasma samples from rigorously matched PD cases and controls, and measured over 25,000 protein types using four complementary proteomics platforms, making it the most deeply profiled longitudinal proteomic study in PD to date. The pilot study has analyzed longitudinal plasma samples covering a period of up to 12 years before the diagnosis of PD and 9 years after. This has enabled researchers to track how distinct plasma proteins evolve over time in people with PD, which could help establish an early-warning system for the emergence of the disease.
Researchers have confirmed PD biomarkers previously discovered and identified reproducible early PD biomarkers, validated across up to 5 independent cohorts. The study also uncovered novel, early biomarkers of PD, including a major modulation of the CXCL12–cell adhesion molecules–integrin axis, a signaling network that governs leukocyte trafficking and blood-brain barrier integrity and is implicated in PD-associated neuroinflammation.
"Despite decades of research and treatment advancement, the understanding of the drivers of the disease remains limited," said Dr. Jörg Schüttrumpf, Grifols Chief Scientific Innovation Officer. "This new proof-of-concept data offers additional insights into the biology and progression of PD, years before clinical detection. The results also validate the Chronos platform, with potential applications beyond PD. Going back in time to search for the earliest signs of disease can help accelerate and ultimately develop new diagnostics and disease-modifying therapeutics. Our vision is that this platform continues to grow in terms of knowledge, partnerships and its ability to help society advance in fighting some of the world's most pressing public health challenges."
PD affects nearly 1 million people in the U.S. and more than 6 million people worldwide.1 It occurs when brain cells that make dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, stop working or die. Despite decades of research and treatment advancement, the understanding of the drivers of the disease remains limited.
Today physicians use a combination of a person's medical history, physical examination and brain imaging tests to diagnose PD. By the time the disorder is detected, it is often too late to slow its progression, much less reverse the damage. This leaves early detection biomarkers as one of the most urgent needs for making further headway in therapeutic interventions to halt, if not reverse, the disease before it is too late.
The world's largest longitudinal collection of biospecimens
Grifols' repository of PD plasma samples is just a fraction of the more than 100 million samples the company has collected for nearly 15 years. Its proprietary bank is one of the world's largest collections of biospecimens and contains plasma representing thousands of disease states connected to real-world health data. The same analyses applied to the PD samples can be replicated in other diseases and disease states across many therapeutic areas.
"Chronos reframes early disease detection by shifting from symptom-based evaluation to molecular trajectory profiling, offering a powerful foundation for accelerating the development of early detection and intervention tools at population scale," added Benoit Lehallier, PhD, Principal Investigator of Chronos and Sr. Director of Data Science at Alkahest.
About Grifols
Grifols is a global healthcare company founded in Barcelona in 1909 committed to improving the health and well-being of people around the world. A leader in essential plasma-derived medicines and transfusion medicine, the company develops, produces and provides innovative healthcare services and solutions in more than 110 countries.
Patient needs and Grifols' ever-growing knowledge of many chronic, rare and prevalent conditions, at times life-threatening, drive the company's innovation in both plasma and other biopharmaceuticals to enhance quality of life. Grifols is focused on treating conditions across four main therapeutic areas: immunology, infectious diseases, pulmonology and critical care.
A pioneer in the plasma industry, Grifols continues to grow its network of donation centers, the world's largest with close to 400 across North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and China.
As a recognized leader in transfusion medicine, Grifols offers a comprehensive portfolio of solutions designed to enhance safety from donation to transfusion, in addition to clinical diagnostic technologies. It provides high-quality biological supplies for life-science research, clinical trials and for manufacturing pharmaceutical and diagnostic products. The company also supplies tools, information and services that enable hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare professionals to efficiently deliver expert medical care.
Grifols, with more than 23,800 employees in more than 30 countries and regions, is committed to a sustainable business model that sets the standard for continuous innovation, quality, safety and ethical leadership.
The company's class A shares are listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange, where they are part of the IBEX-35 (MCE:GRF). Grifols non- voting class B shares are listed on the Mercado Continuo (MCE:GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ through ADRs (NASDAQ:GRFS).
For more information about Grifols, please visit www.grifols.com
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1 The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons' Research
