Neurophet, an artificial intelligence (AI) solution company for brain disease, announced its participation in the global startup innovation program 'Startup Creasphere APAC 2023' established by global leading healthcare company Roche and the globally active innovation platform Plug and Play.

Neurophet as selected for the program will collaborate on exploring joint commercialization opportunities together with Roche Diagnostics in Korea and beyond. Thereby Neurophet will bring in its technology to predict the risk of amyloid beta protein, known as a causative agent of Alzheimer's disease, based on brain MRI analysis.

An amyloid-PET scan is needed to observe cortical amyloid beta deposition and determine whether Alzheimer's disease is positive or negative. However, amyloid-PET scans are expensive, and they are not available everywhere due to limited access to PET scanners. Also, there are patients who are reluctant to scan PET images because of radiation exposure.

Neurophet plans to release a product for early prediction of the positive risk group of amyloid beta protein with MRI analysis before scanning amyloid-PET through advancing Neurophet's AI-powered brain image analysis technology. Only about half of the patients with minor cognitive impairment who are subject to amyloid-PET scans are positive for amyloid-PET. The amyloid positivity prediction technology through MRI analysis could reduce medical costs incurred by unnecessary amyloid-PET scans. The strategy is to provide analysis services supporting clinical trials to reduce cost and time in the clinical trials process of anti-amyloid beta protein antibody treatments.

About 107 startups have participated in the Startup Creasphere program, which began in 2018, and a number of startups have been matched with multinational healthcare companies such as Roche, Sanofi, and Novo Nordisk to carry out joint research and development and commercialization projects.

Neurophet has been conducting research and development activities with various support from Roche Diagnostics such as expert mentoring and global network exchanges for about three months starting from the middle of last month.

"Neurophet's outstanding brain image analysis technology was recognized by global pharmaceutical company Roche and was selected as the first Korean company for the startup innovation program," said CEO Jake Junkil Been of Neurophet. "Starting with this program, we hope to continuously create business collaboration opportunities with Roche."

He added, "Neurophet will focus on advancing technology and product commercialization since Neurophet's MR and PET images analysis technology is expected to play a key role in prescription and prognosis observation of anti-amyloid beta protein antibody treatments such as lecanemab and donanemab, which have recently developed."