BlinkLab jumps as Dutch dementia study kicks off

Shares in app-based mental health diagnostics product BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) jumped close to 4% in morning trades on Wednesday as the company sets up for a dementia trial in the Netherlands.

Alongside Erasmus University Medical Centre, BlinkLab will be using its autism-detecting tech to assess capacity around identifying early stage dementia.

The two diseases in question are frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s.

BlinkLab will have tests used in an ‘at-home’ laboratory ultimately tasked with identifying and developing the software’s ability to spot the conditions.

Notably, BlinkLab has open to it an exclusive licence right over any intellectual property developed alongside Erasmus. Some 250 individuals are targeted for inclusion in the trial with the entire program set to run for 2 years.

The company noted on Wednesday that dementia is a leading cause of death globally with “associated [costs] of ~$1.3 trillion.”

“For BlinkLab the main focus remains neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism and ADHD. However, we know from science that there are opportunities for neurodegenerative conditions as well,” BlinkLab CEO Henk-Jan Boele said.

“This work will be an important driver for the transformation of mental healthcare from the current one-size-fits-all approach to a data-driven, personalised, and affordable system.”

BB1 last traded at 33cps.