Rapid Blood Tests Differentiate Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) affect millions of Americans but are often difficult to distinguish due to overlapping symptoms. Current diagnostic methods rely heavily on subjective assessments and long-term observation, often requiring more than one to three years to reach a conclusion. Misdiagnosis rates remain high, with 50% of schizophrenia and 70% of bipolar disorder cases incorrectly identified. Now, breakthrough rapid blood tests that accurately diagnose and differentiate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder could enable earlier and more accurate interventions.

Laguna Diagnostics, LLC (Irvine, CA, USA) has developed rapid blood tests that differentiate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with over 90% accuracy. The tests rely on precision biomarker signatures that measure mRNA expression levels of 18 genes. The method uses a four-step process to calculate the probability that a sample comes from a patient with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or no psychiatric disorder (NC). This innovation delivers objective, reliable results far faster than existing methods.

Image: Laguna Diagnostics has been awarded its second US patent for rapid blood tests to differentiate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

The method represents the only rapid blood test capable of distinguishing between the two disorders and healthy individuals. Laguna has been awarded its second U.S. patent, which builds on its first patent in 2023 and the 2018 peer-reviewed publication in Molecular Neuropsychiatry, which first reported the discovery of 18-gene biomarker panels capable of differentiating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and healthy controls with 88–96% accuracy.

The implications are profound, with the tests potentially transforming psychiatry by replacing years of subjective assessments with blood-based diagnostics delivered in days. The technology may also expand to other mental illnesses, offering physicians tools to improve diagnosis and treatment decisions. Laguna is preparing for FDA clinical validation trials while pursuing broader applications in psychiatry and mental health.

“Our technology not only differentiates between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia affecting ~2 million patients annually but also has broad potential to diagnose and differentiate other mental illnesses, truly revolutionizing the field of psychiatry and giving physicians tools they have never had before,” said Terry W. Osborn, PhD, MBA, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Laguna Diagnostics.

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