Neuro-imaging specialist IXICO PLC (LON:IXI) has been drafted in to support an Alzheimer’s clinical trial – its second contract in this field in the space of just over a week.
It will provide 'advanced solutions’ involving structural magnetic resonance imaging, volumetric MRI, diffusion MRI and arterial spin labelling.
The end customer is described as a mid-sized biopharmaceutical company that is carrying out work at 125 sites in 10 countries over five years. It is assessing the potential anti-Tau antibody treatment – a new class of drug that has shown early promise in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Last week, IXICO was brought in to help interpret results from a phase II clinical assessment in AD being carried out by Cyclerion Therapeutics.
“With less well-defined target biology, limited availability of biomarkers and a higher risk of failure, drug development in Alzheimer's disease presents significant challenges for the industry,” said IXICO chief executive Lammert Albers.
“In turn, biopharmaceutical sponsors are responding with more disease-modifying treatment candidates and greater diversity of drug targets in AD pipelines.
“We are proud to support sponsors in their tireless efforts to bring potential treatments for this devastating disease, and these recent awards reflect the confidence clients place in IXICO as the trusted neuroimaging partner for their Alzheimer's disease pipeline innovations."
Alzheimer’s affects around 50mln people worldwide with devastating mental and physical consequences – a figure that is only likely to rise with an ageing population.