Neurophet, a Korean AI firm specializing in brain disease imaging solutions, said Wednesday that it has secured a pathway into the Chinese market through an exclusive sales agreement with Beijing LADO Technology Co., Ltd., a Chinese manufacturer of nuclear medicine software.

The agreement covers the distribution of Neurophet's PET image analysis software, Neurophet SCALE PET, and includes the establishment of a joint venture in China. 

Neurophet said the partnership aims to expedite its market entry and secure key regulatory approvals in the Chinese healthcare sector.

Neurophet SCALE PET is a software solution for quantitatively analyzing biomarkers tagged with radioactive tracers through positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. It provides the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) measurements for various brain biomarkers, including Alzheimer’s-related amyloid-beta and tau proteins, as well as indicators of brain cell metabolism (FDG) and dopamine levels.

LADO’s client network in China includes over 500 institutions with PET scanners, and its nuclear medicine software systems are used in more than 300 major hospitals.

“Medical device companies often encounter challenges with China’s rapidly evolving regulatory environment,” said Jake Jun-kil Been, CEO of Neurophet. These regulatory hurdles, he noted, can result in lengthy approval times.

However, Been emphasized that “by establishing new dealerships in key regions, Neurophet will actively promote its brain imaging analysis technology across China, leveraging LADO’s extensive network.” He added that the joint venture should streamline and accelerate the process.