North Bethesda, MD – February 10, 2024—The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) today announced the launch of a new public-private partnership to develop tools to identify pregnant women at high risk of early-onset preeclampsia. The project is part of the FNIH Biomarkers Consortium and is a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and eight other partners who represent life sciences companies, academia, and nonprofit and patient advocacy organizations like the Preeclampsia Foundation.

Preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy-related hypertensive disorder that can lead to maternal and neonatal deaths and long-term negative health outcomes. The disorder is becoming more prevalent in the United States, with women of color more likely to be affected and experience poor outcomes. Identifying women earlier in pregnancy who are at heightened risk for the disorder would allow clinical intervention that could lead to a major improvement in outcomes, particularly for underserved communities that have been carrying the highest burden of preeclampsia.

“This form of public-private partnership is critical to moving forward better prediction and diagnostic options for preeclampsia,” said Preeclampsia Foundation CEO Eleni Tsigas. “Our team is thrilled to partner with the FNIH and other partners in this effort to champion innovative solutions that will lead to improved clinical cares and better outcomes for mothers and their babies.”

This public-private partnership is supported by NICHD, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Merck for Mothers, Preeclampsia Foundation, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Revvity, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the Ohio State University, and the George Washington University.

Learn more about the FNIH preeclampsia biomarkers program and the Foundation’s work in biomarkers research advocacy at http://www.preeclampsia.org/biomarkers

About the Preeclampsia Foundation

The Preeclampsia Foundation is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2000 to improve the outcomes of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy by educating, supporting, and engaging the community, improving healthcare practices, and finding a cure. We envision a world where preeclampsia and related hypertensive disorders of pregnancy no longer threaten the lives of mothers and babies. For more information, visit www.preeclampsia.org.

About the Biomarkers Consortium

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health’s Biomarkers Consortium leads cross-sector efforts to validate and qualify biomarkers that accelerate the development of new therapeutics and health technologies. The core operations of the Biomarkers Consortium are supported through its contributing membership program, which includes the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, private industry, and not-for-profit organizations. 

About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) builds public-private partnerships that connect leading biomedical scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), life sciences companies, foundations, academia, and regulatory agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. Through team science, we solve complex health challenges and accelerate breakthroughs for patients, regardless of who they are or what health challenges they face. The FNIH accelerates new therapies, diagnostics, and potential cures; advances global health and equity in care; and celebrates and helps train the next generations of scientists. Established by Congress in 1990 to support the mission of the NIH, the FNIH is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information about the FNIH, please visit fnih.org.