Alzheimer’s disease might be finally becoming easier to diagnose. And a retinal scanning startup in Toronto is behind it.
What’s happening:
- Canadian healthcare startup RetiSpec has raised $10M USD in a Series A financing round
- The round saw notable participation from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY)
The big idea:
- RetiSpec has developed proprietary technology that is capable of detecting neurodegenerative diseases through an eye test
- RetiSpec captures data-rich images through retinal scanning and then leverages artificial intelligence technology to be able to accurately diagnose neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s before there are clinical symptoms based on biomarkers
Why it matters:
- Neurodegenerative diseases are often very difficult to be able to diagnose, which leads many patients to not be able to seek out treatment options until they are experiencing significant cognitive decline and a reduced quality of life
Going deeper:
- One of the most important technology breakthroughs RetiSpec has developed is the ability to rapidly detect amyloid burden, which is one of the most clinically significant biomarkers that indicates an individual may have Alzheimer’s disease
The intrigue:
- The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s Diagnostic Accelerator and the Ontario Brain Institute also both participated in RetiSpec’s recent financing round
