NSN Subsidiary Neurosona Publishes Clinical Analysis Results of Alzheimer's Disease Using LIFU Device in Academic Journal

The clinical analysis results of Alzheimer's disease patients using the low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) device developed by Neurosona, a subsidiary of NSN, have been published in an academic journal.

According to the company, Professor Yong-An Jeong from the Department of Nuclear Medicine and Professor In-Wook Song from the Department of Neurology at Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University, conducted a clinical study using Neurosona's low-intensity focused ultrasound device. They published the analysis paper titled "Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Focused Ultrasound Stimulation System for Alzheimer's Disease Patients" in the official journal of the Korean Society of Ultrasound in Medicine, ULTRASONOGRAPHY.

Professor Yong-An Jeong stated, "This clinical trial is the world's first to stimulate the hippocampal region with low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) in patients with moderate or higher severity Alzheimer's disease, investigating the efficacy and safety of LIFU stimulation." He added, "After LIFU stimulation, FDG-PET imaging analysis showed increased local brain glucose metabolism in the superior frontal gyrus, middle cingulate gyrus, and fusiform gyrus (p < 0.005), and patients exhibited improvements in memory, executive function, and global cognitive function."

Professor In-Wook Song said, "Through this study, we confirmed that low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation improved brain function centered on the frontal lobe in neuropsychological tests of dementia patients, and caregivers also expressed satisfaction with the enhanced cognitive ability regarding the external environment." He further added, "At a time when new treatments to alleviate symptoms of dementia diseases such as Alzheimer's, which have become a social issue due to the rapid increase in the elderly population, are urgently needed, this study has opened up possibilities for low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation. Of course, additional extensive research is essential to establish evidence for safety and therapeutic effects."

Neurosona CEO Seon-Il Seo commented, "It is encouraging that the published paper confirmed the potential to delay disease progression and treat patients with moderate or higher severity Alzheimer's disease, who have had limited treatment options. It is also positive that no adverse reactions were reported despite the clinical stimulation of deep brain regions." He added, "We plan to obtain product approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety based on sufficient results regarding the efficacy and safety of Neurosona's low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) device for Alzheimer's treatment through upcoming approval clinical trials."

Neurosona is a company that possesses core technology for an electroceutical pipeline, which is gaining attention as a new treatment surpassing conventional synthetic drugs and biopharmaceuticals. Electroceuticals refer to electronic devices that treat diseases using electrical signals, including medical devices that use electric currents and magnetic fields. Recently, ultrasound-based treatments targeting the brain and nerve cells have also been categorized under electroceuticals.

Synthetic drugs can cause unexpected chemical reactions (side effects) during absorption in the body. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in 2019, approximately 263,000 adverse events were reported from 574 domestic pharmaceuticals, a 2.2% increase from 257,348 cases in 2018. In contrast, electroceuticals have the advantage of causing very few side effects and providing safe treatment, making them the next-generation treatment surpassing synthetic and biopharmaceuticals. The market is expected to grow to $25.2 billion by 2021.

Electroceuticals are identified as a leading development target alongside long-term 3D printing and microbiomes in the government's innovation growth plan, but face challenges such as enormous research and development costs and the need for new clinical trials. As a result, this research field has not been widely activated domestically.

A Neurosona representative stated, "We are conducting exploratory clinical trials for various intractable brain diseases using Neurosona's electroceutical pipeline and are preparing to announce the results. At the same time, we are developing several new electroceutical drugs."

Meanwhile, Neurosona's electroceutical pipeline using low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is highly anticipated for treating various brain diseases including Alzheimer's, depression, pain, consciousness disorders, sleep disorders, and stroke. Furthermore, clinical trials for multiple diseases beyond a single condition are being conducted jointly with leading hospitals in Korea.