Dementia app firm MindMate teams up for clinical trial

Scottish dementia app developer MindMate has teamed up with an Australian biotech firm working on new treatments for people suffering from Alzheimer's.

MindMate's software will be used by Actinogen Medical to recruit patients for a "pioneering" clinical trial.

It wants to prove the effectiveness of a new drug in Alzheimer's patients.

The drug - Xanamem - aims to inhibit the excess production of the stress hormone cortisol in the brain.

It was developed in response to evidence that high cortisol levels have a strong association with Alzheimer's.

MindMate's free health and lifestyle app is aimed at people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease, dementia, brain injury and other forms of cognitive decline.

It offers users a range of activities, including memory training, health tips and workouts.

MindMate, which has offices in Glasgow and Los Angeles, claims its app is now being used by more than one million people worldwide.

The company said the new partnership would allow Actinogen to "identify the right patient population" faster for the second phase of its trial, supporting patient recruitment in the US, Australia and UK.

The University of Edinburgh is one of Actinogen's partner sites for the trial.

MindMate's chief executive and co-founder Susanne Mitschke said: "This partnership is a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with one of the leading research organizations in Scotland and shows that Scotland is continuing to drive innovation also through world-leading biotech developments."