IXICO PLC (LSE:IXI, OTC:PHYOF) shares rose 12% to 13.45p after the neuroscience analytics company announced two new deals worth a combined £1.2 million, boosting its presence in the fast-growing field of blood-based biomarkers.
The AIM-listed group said it had secured a three-year contract with a leading global biopharma company to help validate a diagnostic blood test for an undisclosed neurodegenerative disease.
The work will use IXICO’s artificial intelligence platform to analyse data from the test, which aims to detect brain disorders earlier and less invasively than traditional imaging.
IXICO also extended an existing contract on an Alzheimer’s disease trial, adding new work over the next few years. The company said the expansion builds on several recent contract increases and has strengthened its long-term order book.
Chief executive Bram Goorden said the new business highlighted IXICO’s growing expertise in biomarker testing and reflected ongoing demand from major pharmaceutical clients.
The deals, he added, marked further progress in the company’s “Innovate, Lead, Scale” strategy to expand its global footprint in neurological research.