IXICO study joins Dementias Platform

Brain health company IXICO announced on Thursday that its Cygnus study has joined the high-profile Dementias Platform UK (DPUK).

The AIM-traded firm described Cygnus as a real-world digital data collection study from people with cognitive impairment and dementia.

It said the four NHS trusts participating in the project have now begun enrolment in the Mehealth digital technology platform, which is being deployed for data collection and management.

Consumer wearable devices containing accelerometers will also be deployed to collect information on sleep and activity, with the study aiming to advance the development of digital healthcare in patients with cognitive impairment and dementia, and their caregivers.

“By joining DPUK, Cygnus is now part of a high-profile collaborative project that includes leading academic centres and pharmaceutical companies GSK, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson,” IXICO’s board said in the announcement.

It acquired the Mehealth platform with Optimal Medicine in December.

“We believe digital technologies will improve the lives of both people with cognitive impairment and dementia and their families, potentially transforming how treatments are developed and delivered,” said chief executive Professor Derek Hill.

“The IXICO sponsored Cygnus project is now using such technologies in community memory services in the North of England.

“We are pleased our recently-acquired Mehealth platform is supporting this project in partnership with global pharmaceutical companies within the Dementias Platform UK,” Hill added.

DPUK director Professor John Gallacher said the platform was delighted that Cygnus was contributing data into its portal.

“Not only does this support the open science vision of the Dementias Platform, but it transforms the way that industry and academic collaborations can be used to develop innovative treatments.

“We are particularly excited that Cygnus is pioneering the use of digital technologies including mobile devices and wearables to bring a real world evidence emphasis to the DPUK data portal,” Gallacher explained.