Innovator spotlight A MedTech to solution alleviate the symptoms of Parkinsons T We spoke to innovator Lucy Jung, Co-founder at Charco Neurotech, about how Eastern AHSN has supported its CUE1 device to scale its business, better understand its market and secure funding for development he benefits of vibration in Parkinsons were first noted by a French neurologist and professor of anatomical pathology, Jean-Martin Charcot, in the 19th century, who observed how his patients felt more comfortable after a train ride. CUE1 is a wearable device that our team of engineers, doctors and neuroscientists have developed for todays Parkinsons patients based partly on this early insight. It works by providing focused vibrotactile stimulation and cueing to reduce the symptoms of slowness and stiffness that people with Parkinsons experience. During our pilot tests, users have reported experiencing more ease of movement. There has also been a demonstrable alleviation of movement symptoms, with participants registering a 9.3 point improvement on the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale1 (MDS-UPDRS) a rating tool used to gauge the severity and progression of Parkinsons disease in patients. This figure is well above that considered clinically significant. We first came into contact with Eastern AHSN when we submitted CUE1 to its Innovation Review Panel in April 2020. We were due to launch in September the following year and while we had more than 1,200 privately funded backorders, we had no access to the NHS market. We had the opportunity to attend one of Eastern AHSNs Clinical Innovator Forum events and have a one-to-one with some of the commercial team. Thankfully, they helped us understand the critical importance of a health economic evaluation in securing a place on the NHS supply chain and, to our surprise, it also funded and commissioned the evaluation on our behalf. It also put us in touch with some of its contacts to build our evidence base to work towards our NICE submission, including Value Match Procurement Consultancy, who helped us better understand the NHS procurement landscape and build our value proposition. I might not be able to run a marathon but it gives me that boost which enables me to do the everyday tasks that are important to me Tina, CUE1 user Assisted by these insights, we are currently prepping for a large clinical trial with the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) in the UK and another feasibility study will be starting soon in Austria, focused on gait analysis. Eastern AHSN also conducted a business development workshop to help us understand and agree the specific patient segmentation that would offer both patients and the NHS the most value. This workshop also highlighted a number of parameters it would be important to evidence as they would significantly support and align to key NHS strategic priorities. These included relative reduction in the number of falls, reduction in the number of NHS consultations and a reduction in the number of social care visits. More recently, the team at Eastern AHSN has helped us develop template business cases, both for the NHS and private companies. Additionally, it put us in contact with a marketing agency to develop two explainer video animations: one to present the scientific evidence and one more focused on an investor audience. This helped us realise the importance of telling our story in a visual way and we have now hired a video animator in-house. It is still early days for CUE1, but we have learnt so much in the past year from the Eastern AHSN teams specialist expertise. We have recently secured $10 million to develop our business and are under consideration for NICE review. I was therefore delighted to be invited back to present at Eastern AHSNs Clinical Innovator Forum event in December to share my experiences and provide advice to the next generation of clinical entrepreneurs. Share this article Return to the contents page Get involved Do you have a great idea that could make a positive health impact? Get involved https://www.easternahsn.org/innovators/get-involved/ Up next: Dr. Keith Tsui, CEO and Co-founder of Medwise.ai, explains how Eastern AHSN has helped them develop a reliable, trusted clinical decision-making tool based on a search engine References 1 Charco Neurotech. (2020). Charco Neurotech CUE1 User Testing Report . Available: http://charcoweb-env.eba-aqap8z3u.eu-west-2.elasticbeanstalk.com/wp-content/ uploads/2021/12/TuG-UPDRS-tapping-report.pdf. Last accessed 19/04/22.