New Brunswick establishes comprehensive, province-wide biomarker testing program for Multiple Sclerosis patients

Province-wide partnership brings faster, more accessible innovative research testing method to patients living with MS

(FREDERICTON) – New Brunswick is breaking new ground in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) care with the launch of a first-of-its-kind provincial partnership that will bring critical biomarker testing directly to patients across the province.

Horizon Health Network, Vitalité Health Network and Roche Canada are joining forces to establish Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) testing at Horizon’s Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton – making New Brunswick the first province to implement a coordinated, province-wide approach to this innovative research testing method.

“This partnership reflects everything we strive for in health care innovation – bringing the right care, to the right patients, at the right time,” said Margaret Melanson, President and CEO of Horizon Health Network. “Our patients deserve timely answers and treatment decisions that aren’t delayed by geography or system limitations, and this will ensure that happens.”

The initiative addresses a significant need in the province, as New Brunswick has one of the highest rates of MS in the world.

Approximately 2,000 New Brunswickers live with MS and require ongoing monitoring to track disease progression and treatment effectiveness.

Until now, NfL testing has been available only to select patients in New Brunswick who meet specific criteria, with samples sent out of province. This has resulted in weeks-long waits, higher costs and limited access to information that can help guide treatment decisions.

“This program is a great example of how collaboration can improve access to care for New Brunswickers,” said New Brunswick Health Minister John Dornan. “By offering neurofilament light chain testing in the province, we’re helping patients living with multiple sclerosis get faster, more effective support while easing pressure on the health system. Our government is pleased to support this important work.”

NfL testing measures proteins in the blood that signal active disease in the nervous system. This blood test can aid in the detection of disease activity in adults with multiple sclerosis, helping physicians and patients make better disease management decisions, while also reducing the need for MRI scans.

Neurologists across the province believe that routine testing of all MS patients will decrease system backlogs and support better patient care. By bringing testing in-province, the program would reduce per-test costs by more than 60 percent compared to send-out testing, and would enable equitable access for patients in New Brunswick.

“At Roche, collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and this partnership is a clear example of that principle in action. Together with our partners in New Brunswick, we are proud to introduce a technology that will have the potential to redefine how we monitor MS disease activity and improve the quality of care for patients,” said Matheus Vieira, President and General Manager, Roche Diagnostics Canada. “By integrating innovation with strategic clinical practices, we aim to deliver faster, more accessible, and cost-effective tools that could directly benefit patients and healthcare providers across the province.”

The program will launch in the weeks ahead with a validation phase, followed by full implementation in 2026.

Once operational, testing will be available to patients across all provincial health zones in both official languages, with results returned in days rather than weeks.

The program is designed to support best-practice care standards, enabling neurologists to monitor patients more frequently and make faster treatment decisions.

“This partnership will help our clinicians intervene earlier, adjust treatments more quickly and, ultimately, improve outcomes for our patients,” said Dr. France Desrosiers, President and CEO of Vitalité Health Network. “This is what every person living with multiple sclerosis deserves.”

The initiative may also help pave the way for additional novel biomarker testing in the province for other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s Disease.

ResearchNB, meanwhile, played a key role in helping establish the collaboration between the regional health authorities and industry partners, demonstrating how research infrastructure can accelerate health care innovation.

Following implementation, the partners will explore a health system impact study to evaluate the program’s effects on patient outcomes, health system efficiency, and equitable access across the province.

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