Cognetivity Neurosciences has signed a deal to expand its dementia detection technology across the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The health tech firm reached a commercial agreement with Emirates Health Services for the company’s technology to be deployed as a screening tool for cognitive impairment throughout the UAE.
Based in Dubai, EHS is the main federal provider of public healthcare services in the UAE.
It functions as the operating arm of the country’s Ministry of Health and Prevention, running hundreds of healthcare centers and hospitals across the UAE and handling hundreds of thousands of outpatient visits each year.
At the heart of the partnership is CognICA – Cognetivity’s flagship medical device.
Under the terms of the new agreement, CognICA will be deployed in EHS-run clinics as a screening tool for measuring patients’ brain health and streamlining the detection of cognitive impairment.
The aim of this large-scale implementation is to enhance the timely diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
Dementia is a serious and growing healthcare problem all over the world, with more than 55 million people currently living with the condition, but it poses a particular challenge to the UAE.
A study published this year in The Lancet Public Health forecasts that the UAE will experience the second-highest percentage increase worldwide in the number of people living with dementia by 2050.
Last year the UAE become the second country in the world, behind the US, to approve the novel Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm for clinical treatment.
Cognetivity’s Integrated Cognitive Assessment is a short and simple test, delivered on a tablet, that can be taken by a patient remotely or in person, without the need for administration by a specialist.
This means that large-scale rollout of CognICA can be achieved very rapidly and does not need to be limited to specialist clinics.
Dr Sina Habibi, Cognetivity’s CEO, said: “We’re hugely excited about this latest deployment of the ICA and thrilled to confirm another major deal in the Middle East.
“To tackle the massive global problem of dementia, we have to begin cognitive testing on a larger scale than ever before. The ICA is the perfect tool in every way for this job and this latest implementation paves the way for further large-scale deployments in the future, which is immensely exciting.”
“What’s fantastic about the health authorities in the UAE is that they clearly appreciate the value of innovation in improving healthcare outcomes,” he continued.
“They have a bold vision for the future of healthcare in the region and are not afraid to take bold steps in making that a reality. In this regard, our attitudes are very closely aligned. I’m confident that this deployment will be a great success for the people of UAE and Cognetivity.”
Cognetivity has offices in Canada, the UK and Dubai.
