Comprehensive Clinics for Alzheimer’s Disease

The concept of establishing AD focussed diagnostic and treatment clinics that offer a comprehensive package of medical services, including AD screening, brain specific PET scan imaging, and multiple treatment options, is a unique and exciting approach to help fight this devastating disease.

This initiative marks a transformative step for Algernon to become a global healthcare provider and partner in the battle against Alzheimer’s Disease and related cognitive disorders, while strengthening the Company’s valuation and bottom line.

The Company plans to open its initial dedicated AD diagnostic and treatment medical clinics in the U.S., with the first planned for Florida, with a comprehensive service menu including: 

  • Cognitive and genetic screening including the APOE genetic test which can indicate a pre-disposition to acquiring AD
  • Laboratory developed blood tests for early detection of phosphorylated tau protein (an established biomarker for AD, correlated to amyloid plaque)
  • Advanced PET scan imaging also covered by U.S. Medicare and Medicaid, using the Positrigo NeuroLF Brain PET Scanner recently cleared by the U.S. FDA, to confirm amyloid plaque presence
  • Infusion of current U.S. FDA-approved and U.S. Medicare and Medicaid covered therapies
  • Personalized wellness, nutrition, and longevity programs

The clinics will be anchored by the most advanced Positron Emission Tomography (PET) technology, namely, the ultra-compact Positrigo NeuroLF Brain PET Scanner, to perform high-resolution PET imaging using radio isotopes designed to detect and define amyloid plaque build-up and related biomarkers associated with AD.

As a treatment center, the medical clinics will additionally offer infusion services for Kisunla and Leqembi, the two U.S. FDA-approved, and U.S. Medicare and Medicaid covered, AD monoclonal antibody treatment therapies developed by Eli Lilly, and Eisai and Biogen, respectively. These drug treatments, which clear the amyloid plaque from the brain and slow the progression of AD, will be delivered following a combination of testing including genetic screening, cognitive function, and blood testing that indicates the presence of a protein which correlates to having plaque in the brain.

However, prior to being able to receive AD treatment, a patient must undergo a final confirmatory test for plaque, also U.S. Medicare and Medicaid covered, of either a brain specific PET scan or a spinal tap, the latter being an invasive and less desirable diagnostic procedure. 

The Positrigo NeuroLF Brain PET Scanner

Algernon’s new clinics will feature the Positrigo NeuroLF brain PET scanner, which represents a new generation in PET brain scanning excellence. Incorporated into a comfortable clinical, dental-styled chair, the NeuroLF can perform the same brain scanning functions of traditional PET scanners, which are extremely large, horizontal imaging machines generally located in the nuclear medicine departments of hospitals or in specialized scanning centers.

Traditional PET scanners are in exceedingly short supply and equally high demand and are mostly prioritized for imaging a variety of cancers, coronary artery disease, and brain disorders such as tumors.

As a result, the current reserve of PET scanners in North America will be unable to handle the anticipated demand for AD related imaging and this presents Algernon with a significant opportunity to capitalize on this imbalance between service and anticipated demand in the AD market segment.

U.S. Flagship Clinic: Florida

Algernon is planning to open its first comprehensive AD medical clinic in Florida in Q4 of this calendar year with plans for 2 Positrigo Positrigo NeuroLF Brain PET Scanners at this location. After completing an initial startup phase, the Company will scale up its operations with plans to order up to 20 additional NeuroLF scanners and open 10 additional corporately owned sites in 2026, as well as 10 additional franchise locations.

Canadian Clinics

The Positrigo NeuroLF Brain PET Scanner is not currently approved for commercial use in Canada and will only be available for clinical trials, subject to Health Canada oversight. Because the two antibody therapy treatments from Eli Lily, and Eisai and Biogen, are also not yet approved in Canada, the first Canadian AD clinics will focus on providing Alzheimer’s cognitive screening, genetic testing and blood testing, as well as provide health, wellness and nutritional counselling, as introductory services and lead generation vehicles.

Canadian patients identified as having a higher risk of having AD, by way of the APOE genetic test and suspected of having AD as a result of testing positive for the Tau proteins found in the blood, will also be given the opportunity to travel to Algernon’s U.S. clinic location(s) to undergo PET scan imaging and receive the new drug therapy if the presence of amyloid plaque is confirmed. Final diagnosis and treatment decisions will be made on an individual patient basis under the care of Neurologists.