IXICO PLC (LSE:IXI, OTC:PHYOF) has secured a contract worth more than £3.5 million to support a major phase III clinical trial in Huntington’s Disease, marking a significant commercial step for the neuroscience data specialist.
The London-based group said the four-year agreement, signed with a global pharmaceutical company, will see it provide imaging services for the worldwide study.
Phase III trials are the final stage before a company seeks regulatory approval for a new treatment, making them the most extensive and costly part of drug development.
Huntington’s is a rare inherited disorder that steadily damages nerve cells in the brain.
It affects movement, thinking and behaviour, and has no cure. Research activity in the field has increased in recent years as pharmaceutical companies explore new approaches to slow or modify the course of the disease.
IXICO has long positioned itself in this niche. Its platform uses artificial intelligence to analyse brain scans and measure subtle changes in neurological conditions, a capability that has helped it carve out a role in Huntington’s studies.
The company said its expertise in biomarkers, clinical trial operations and image analysis has made it a regular partner in research programmes.
Bram Goorden, chief executive of IXICO, said: “This is an important contract in terms of value and trial stage that further cements IXICO’s position in the field.
"We are very proud to continue our support of the HD community, working with HD research consortia and pharmaceutical partners towards breakthrough treatments for patients in this devastating disease.”
He added that increased investment from the sector into rare neurological disorders was encouraging, noting his optimism that such efforts could lead to meaningful advances.
The deal also extends the company’s recent progress under its “Innovate, Lead, Scale” strategy, which focuses on expanding its role in global neuroscience drug development.