Company Details
Name: Brain Health Scotland Life Sciences Ltd
Date Founded: 2023
Sector: Life Sciences
Key Products/Services: Clinical trials / diagnostic lab services / deeply phenotyped dataset for discovery work and data analysis
Website URL: https://www.brainsciences.scot
Executive Summary
We deliver clinical trials of new tests and medicines that aim to detect brain disease early and treat it before it progresses to dementia. We provide a full-service model for clinical research, with dedicated brain health research centres, an in-house laboratory and imaging services. Together with our participants, we are building one of the world’s largest biobanks of genetic, blood and imaging data in neurodegenerative disease. Our goal is to accelerate progress in the search for better Alzheimer’s diagnostics and treatments so that everyone can enjoy better brain health for life.
The Challenge
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the brain, which means that nerve cells in the brain begin to die at a rate faster than healthy ageing.
Currently, there are no treatments available that can address the core pathologies of the disease and by extension, there is no way to stop Alzheimer’s disease from progressing.
One of the main reasons that there is a lack of effective medications is that Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed too late once cognitive symptoms appear. Nevertheless, Alzheimer’s disease pathology can build up in the brain years before any cognitive symptoms appear.
It is challenging, and currently impossible, to completely reverse the damage that has been occurring for years prior to the diagnosis which is why is it important to detect the pathological changes in Alzheimer’s as soon as possible and remove these pathologies from the brain before the onset of cognitive issues.
This early detection of Alzheimer’s pathology presence in the brain can also help individuals enrol in clinical trials that aim to remove this pathology while the individual is still cognitively healthy.
Lastly, clinical trials have often overlooked changes that are meaningful to patients and have focused instead on cognitive tests that may not holistically capture a patients’ life.
The Solution
Scottish Brain Sciences (SBS) combines a Quadruple Helix of industry, healthcare, academia and the public, to revolutionise the treatment and management of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disease.
SBS is spearheading the IONA Longitudinal Cohort Study which integrates a unique combination of biological, cognitive, genetic, and neuroimaging data to detect the early changes that occur during neurodegenerative disease and prevent disease progression.
In its two sites across Scotland, namely Edinburgh and Aberdeen, SBS has recruited nearly 600 participants in the IONA study (and over 3,000 people who have registered interest) which is 80% faster recruitment than the industry standard. Additionally, SBS has been working intimately with Scottish Rugby over the past two years to promote brain health and player welfare.
SBS has been a pioneer of innovation in the field of diagnostics and clinical trials. SBS has an expansive portfolio of clinical trials with top pharmaceutical and biotech companies, like Roche and Therini Bio. Now, SBS is working on one Phase 1b clinical trial, three Phase 2 trials, four Phase 3 trials, and one research clinical trial.
In less than two years, SBS has helped over 100 patients with Alzheimer’s disease enrol in drug clinical trials by offering a portfolio of diverse clinical trials. Furthermore, in collaboration with Roche Diagnostics and at the University of St Andrews Innovation Campus, SBS has established a state-of-the-art biomarker lab to analyse early-detection biomarkers in blood plasma and cerebrospinal fluid to speed-up the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and help individuals seek treatment before the onset of detrimental symptoms.
These biomarkers test for the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease are being run in all IONA participants and SBS is collecting a database from healthy participants as well as people with Alzheimer’s disease to help validate the clinical use of these biomarkers. Moreover, SBS is working on a model of Participant and Patient Involvement (PPI), working alongside participants, patients, and their families directly to provide studies that are meaningful to the people that need them. Over 100 people in the IONA study have volunteered to be involved in this PPI programme to date. With its expansion, SBS is dedicated to also increase its ethnic diversity and deliver better brain health to everyone.
The Impact
SBS was the first site globally to recruit and dose the first patient for Therini Bio’s Phase 1b study with the novel compound THN-391, a drug that aims to attenuate vascular and inflammatory issues in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, SBS has recruited participants in widely anticipated clinical trials with novel medications for the treatment of core Alzheimer’s disease-related pathologies.
In collaboration with Roche Diagnostics, SBS has a developed an advanced laboratory to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease as early as possible. These studies are ongoing, and the results are awaiting.
Importantly, there is daily validation of satisfaction from participants and patients which is also reflected by a retention rate of 95% in the IONA study.
Finally, SBS is working closely with academic partners from the University of St Andrews and the University of Aberdeen across multiple scientific projects that aim to better understand the aetiologies and mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Future Plans
SBS is dedicated to expanding its study cohort size, as well as to increase its diversity in participant recruitment to reflect global needs in brain health. Important clinical and scientific services are also growing to build up SBS’ database.
Lastly, SBS is also preparing to start new drug clinical trials in 2025 and continue in actively delivering in its current trials.