Ixico wins £0.8m contract with existing US client

Medical analysis company Ixico has been selected by an existing United States biotechnology client, it announced on Tuesday, to provide PET and MRI neuroimaging services for an open-label phase 1 and 2 dose-finding study.

The AIM-traded firm said the study would evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of the client's gene-therapy drug candidate in adults with early Huntington's disease (HD).

It said the trial would run for just over five years, and was worth around £0.8m to the company.

The contract would be Ixico’s second study for the unnamed client, having previously won a deal last year to support a multiple system atrophy study.

“We are delighted to play an important role in the development of this exciting gene therapy in a disease area we know extremely well and where we will deploy both our MRI and PET expertise,” said Chris Hamilton, Ixico’s commercial senior vice-president.

“This new contract with an existing client reflects the confidence of our clients in the use of our services across different central nervous system development programmes within their portfolio.

“Our purpose is to support our clients in their tireless efforts to bring potential treatments to patients suffering from neurological disorders.”

At 1204 GMT, shares in Ixico were down 1.69% at 42.28p.