Company Profile: Neurosona

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Key Points

  • Neurosona aims to develop focused ultrasound for brain treatments, including neuromodulation.
  • Their low-intensity focused ultrasound platform has been used in trials for major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease.
  • The company is headquartered in Seoul, Korea.

Neurosona logoNeurosona is a Korean focused ultrasound company that aims to develop the technology for brain treatments, including neuromodulation. Their low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) platform has already been used for several pilot clinical trials, including the treatment of major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease. We recently asked Neurosona to share more about its recent activities and vision for the future.

Where is the company headquartered? Are there any additional locations?
NEUROSONA Co. Ltd. is headquartered at 1306-1310, 13F, Tower B, 11, Beobwon-ro 11-gil, Seoul, Songpa-gu, Republic of Korea
P.O Box: 05836
Tel: +82-2-552-7400
Fax: +82-2-552-7411
http://www.neurosona.com/ (Our website is in Korean.)

Who is the contact person at Neurosona?
Mr. Chi Young Shin, who can be reached via email to sales@neurosona.com.

How was the company started?
In August 2016, NEUROSONA was founded under the Biomedical Division of our parent company, Neuro Science Network (NSN), after receiving technology transfer for our LIFU system. By August 2017, Neurosona Co. Ltd. became an independent legal entity with the goal of creating a new paradigm for the treatment of brain diseases.

In general, what is the current status of your company?
In February of 2020, Neurosona completed the development of our clinical device, which will be used to gain regulatory approval. This device will be first deployed this year in our scheduled multisite pivotal trial for the treatment of major depressive disorder. With the completion of two pilot trials for major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease, we are currently investigating ways to improve clinician and patient user experiences and other targetable neurological diseases with our technology.

Neurosona Device ImageHow many years has your treatment platform been in development, and what are its origins? 
Neurosona’s LIFU system has been in development since July 2016, after receiving technology transfer from Prof. Yoo at Harvard Medical School whereupon Neurosona signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with Brigham & Women’s Hospital. By November of 2017, the first prototype clinical device was developed and received all necessary regulatory approvals for use in clinical trials (Korea Testing Laboratory performance tests and Korean GMP certification from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). The clinical device was first deployed in the pilot trial for major depressive disorder at Gangnam Severance Hospital in April of 2019 and is currently being used in the rest of our pilot trials.

Tell us about your clinical studies and the results.
We have successfully completed two pilot clinical study trials for major depressive disorder and Alzheimer’s disease at Gangnam Severence Hospital and Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital, respectively. We are also undergoing three more pilot clinical trials for neuropathic pain, disease of consciousness, and sleep disorders at three major hospitals in and around the Greater Seoul Metropolitan area.

What are the benefits of your technology over other companies?
Our LIFU system can stimulate not just the cortical area of the brain but also accurately reach deep brain regions, enabling it to overcome limitations in the current field of noninvasive brain stimulation. Our system uses 3-D MRI images for navigation which allows the transcranial LIFU waves to safely and accurately stimulate deep brain regions and cortical areas of the brain.

Do you partner with other companies?
Neurosona is currently in a research partnership with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital of Harvard University. We are also in communication with key members in the Korean Institute of Science and Technology and the Daegu Gyeonbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, who serve as technology advisors in our main research team and advisory committee.

Which health conditions or diseases will your technology be used for?
Our LIFU system has the potential to target various neurological and psychological diseases, such as depression, Alzheimer’s disease, neuropathic pain, sleep disorders, and more. Upon approval of our device, we will continue to explore avenues in which to expand our scope to help patients who suffer from such debilitating conditions and create a new paradigm for treatment of brain-related diseases.

Past Coverage

Meeting Report: Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation Symposium 2019 October 2019