NEW YORK – Biotechnology firm Aspen Neuroscience on Thursday said it is partnering with technology companies Emerald Innovations and Rune Labs to incorporate digital health monitoring into a screening study evaluating an investigational Parkinson's disease treatment.
San Diego-based Aspen Neuroscience is preparing to test the ability of its investigational autologous cell therapy, ANPD001, to treat Parkinson's by replacing lost dopamine neurons in a Phase I/IIa study. The company launched the Trial-Ready Screening Cohort Study last year to screen, enroll, and begin manufacturing cells to treat participants within that upcoming Phase I/IIa trial for ANPD001.
In the screening study, Aspen will incorporate contactless biosensors from Emerald Innovations and software and data analysis tools from Rune Labs to track patients' symptoms and monitor their medications while they're at home. Aspen will work with Rune Labs, for example, to actively track patients' tremors and dyskinesia levels. Meanwhile, Aspen and Emerald will collaborate to passively collect data on patients' mobility and sleep patterns. By collecting such data pre- and post-treatment, investigators will be able to assess participants' rate of disease progression.
"Parkinson's disease is very personal in nature. … Everyone with Parkinson's has a unique experience, with varied symptoms," Aspen President and CEO Damien McDevitt said in a statement. "We look forward to working closely with the innovative and collaborative teams at Rune Labs and Emerald Innovations to capture a holistic and precise pattern of motor symptom activity over time for people in our screening study."