Oxford Brain Diagnostics wins funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to test Alzheimer’s diagnostic in NHS

Oxford Brain Diagnostics Ltd, a software company focused on developing diagnostics based on changes in the brain at the cellular level, is delighted to announce that we have been awarded funding by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to assess CDM® as a novel and promising tool to identify and predict disease progression amongst patients presenting with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease. This multi-centre project, led by Oxford Brain Diagnostics, includes the University of Oxford Health Economics Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, NIHR Community Healthcare MedTech and IVD Cooperative, Cardiff & the Vale University Health Board, University of Southampton, Cardiff University, University of South Wales and Bournemouth University - Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation.

Dr Steven Chance, CEO, Oxford Brain Diagnostics said ‘we are very excited to be working with our partners and the NIHR on this project. The award and funding only serve to highlight the critical need for continued investment in the UK for Dementia and to explore breakthrough technologies that can support improved diagnostics. Alzheimer’s remains a complex condition so examining MRI scan data from the NHS at the earliest stages of the disease provides an opportunity to estimate patient prognosis, assess the future economic impact patients will have in long term care and more importantly provide valuable time to families in adjusting lifestyles and getting access to new drug treatments. We believe that this innovative approach will advance the state-of-the-art in measuring neurodegeneration and demonstrate the transformative role that neuroimaging can play in a clinical setting.’

Over a three-year period, the project aims to deliver a number of key objectives. In order to support clinical effectiveness and clinical decision making, Oxford Brain Diagnostics will examine a total of 300 patient MRI scans. CDM® will be used to distinguish patient cohorts and measure changes in brain structure across time points. This will enable the project team to assess how improved diagnosis will impact current patient pathways, patient outcomes and to deliver a national health economics analysis across primary, secondary and social care.

This project is supported by a grant of more than £1.4m from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation (i4i) Programme (NIHR202146). The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

About Oxford Brain Diagnostics Ltd - Oxford Brain Diagnostics Ltd is a spinout company from the University of Oxford that is developing diagnostic tools to enable early detection of disease, track progression, and support differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using MRI brain scan data. The patentprotected ‘Cortical Disarray Measurement` (CDM) is a software-based technology that is designed to detect alterations in the brain, based on changes at a cellular level, to enable sensitive and accurate assessment of the neurodegeneration associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Oxford Brain Diagnostics’ CDM software device will support drug development and aid clinicians around the world in their fight to defeat Alzheimer’s disease. The CDM software device was awarded Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA in August 2020.