CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Cognito Therapeutics and Ochsner Health have launched a new Brain Health Collaboratory aimed at advancing care models and treatment approaches for Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline.
The collaboration brings together Cognito’s investigational neurotechnology with Ochsner’s clinical network to develop and test new approaches to delivering brain health care across both urban and rural communities in the Gulf South.
The initiative establishes what the organizations describe as the region’s first statewide platform focused on non-invasive brain health innovation. It will integrate Cognito’s Spectris technology with Ochsner’s patient care infrastructure to explore how emerging therapies can be applied in real-world clinical settings.
“This new collaboratory affords us the opportunity to pair emerging neurotechnology with real-world clinical care to better understand how we can slow cognitive decline, improve patients’ lives and open new therapeutic pathways for other neurological diseases in the future,” said David Houghton, MD, system chair of neurology at Ochsner Health.
As part of the effort, the organizations plan to develop a Brain Health Index to better track cognitive function, disease progression, and treatment response in patients. The program will also evaluate how Cognito’s Spectris therapy can be integrated into routine care for individuals experiencing cognitive decline.
“Ochsner’s reach across the Gulf South provides a unique opportunity to bring innovative brain health technologies to a broad patient population,” said Christian Howell, chief executive officer of Cognito Therapeutics. “Partnerships like this are essential to ensuring that new therapies can reach patients not just in major academic centers, but across entire healthcare systems that serve both urban and rural communities. Expanding access to patients is critical to generating real-world evidence and ultimately delivering new options for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.”
The collaboratory will also explore integrating non-invasive therapies into programs serving dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid populations, with a focus on generating clinical and economic data to assess cost-effectiveness and support value-based care models.
At the center of the initiative is Spectris, an investigational at-home device that delivers synchronized light and sound stimulation designed to promote healthy brain activity. The technology has shown early promise in preserving brain structure and function in Alzheimer’s disease and is currently being studied in clinical trials.
“We are proud to partner with Cognito Therapeutics and advance this groundbreaking brain health initiative in the Gulf South,” said Pete November, president and chief executive officer of Ochsner Health. “Partnerships like this are only possible because of the extraordinary talent and dedication of our physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and support and administrative teams across neurosciences. Additionally, the unwavering support of Bobby and Debbie Patrick, along with other generous donors, have made our soon-to-be open neuroscience institute a reality. Together, we are building a future where innovation and compassionate care come together to transform lives.”
The effort builds on Cognito’s broader strategy to establish a network of Brain Health Collaboratories with health systems and academic institutions to accelerate development and real-world use of non-invasive therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
