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Research & Development Request

H2020-SC1-DTH-2018-2020: French SME offering ‘eye-based analysis' solutions for early detection of Alzheimer / Dementia seeks clinical partnerships for assessment / validation of a new screening device.

Country of Origin: France
Reference Number: RDFR20200317001
Publication Date: 17 March 2020

Summary

A French SME has developed an innovative ‘eye-tracking' medical device to help diagnosing neurological and psychiatric diseases by bringing up robust and quantitative oculomotor neuromarkers for early disease detection and follow-up. The company, after preliminary and promising results in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is looking for partners to submit a proposal for H2020-SC1-DTH-2018-2020 call to finalize and validate the tool at a larger scale. Clinical partners and a coordinator are sought.

Description

This French R&D company was founded in 2013 with the focus of developing an innovative embedded eyetracking technology dedicated to the diagnosis of neurological and psychiatric disorders. 



Based on data resulting from a first step of development (50 medical research centers worldwide, 70 publications, 25 patents, reimbursement in France and Switzerland), the company focuses on the neurodegenerative diseases.



The device is an integrative platform for a quick, robust and reproducible clinical oculomotor examination of several conditions including AD, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson disease. A recent article demonstrated that recording oculomotor behavior with the device can be a powerful tool to identify attentional deficits in AD patients as well as in individuals at the prodromal stage (Mild Cognitive Impairment). Consequently, eye movements and pupil size based neuromarkers are highly valuable candidates to efficiently discriminate individuals at-risk of developing AD from healthy individuals. 



The current challenge is then to unravel the most specific and sensitive oculomotor neuromarkers for diagnosis and monitoring AD. To do so, the French company is looking for partners to apply to the call: H2020-SC1-DTH-2018-2020. 

Call deadline: April 22, 2020. It would be appreciated to receive the expressions of interest before April 15, 2020.



To build the most relevant consortium, clinical and medical partners to conduct clinical trials and to deal with cohort trials are sought. The French SME is also looking for a partner to coordinate the project.

Advantages and Innovations

The company has built a robust software and hardware platform in the field of gaze tracking applied in the neuro-medical field. 



Based on 25 patents, medical device CE certified (mandatory for diagnostic indication), reimbursed in some European countries, and already used in several continents. The device allows direct translational use for medical research to clinical routine. It includes all the necessary functionalities [data patient management, powerful automated analysis, medical reporting, norms, and a set of validated paradigms to explore executive and neurocognitive functions] to empower and facilitate the development and validation of a new screening tool in AD, as recent publications using the device show promising results in this indication.

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Stage Of Development Comment

The current aim is to finalize and validate the tool at a larger scale.

Requested partner

Two types of partners are sought:

- clinical / medical research organisations concerned by early Alzheimer detection / characterization (public, private), able or willing to conduct clinical / cohort trials in this field.

- a coordinator with experience in H2020 project coordination. It could be one of the clinical/medical partners or a company involved in this field.