BlinkLab Faces Recruitment Pressure as NSPT Joins Autism Study

• North Shore Pediatric Therapy (NSPT) joins BlinkLab’s US registrational study as second clinical site
• NSPT’s expertise with ADOS-2 diagnostic tool strengthens study’s benchmark standards
• Patient recruitment at NSPT to begin imminently, targeting diverse pediatric populations
• Collaboration with PriMED Clinical Research expands access to varied autism profiles
• BlinkLab aims to validate its AI-powered smartphone autism diagnostic platform

BlinkLab Expands Clinical Footprint in US Autism Diagnostics

BlinkLab Limited (ASX:BB1), an innovator in AI-driven digital healthcare, has announced a significant development in its US registrational study for autism diagnostics. North Shore Pediatric Therapy (NSPT), a renowned Chicago-based pediatric therapy provider, has joined as the second clinical site. This partnership is poised to accelerate patient recruitment and enhance the robustness of data collection for BlinkLab’s pioneering smartphone-based autism diagnostic test.

NSPT’s selection is strategic. With over two decades of experience in early autism intervention and a multidisciplinary approach encompassing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), neuropsychology, speech and occupational therapies, NSPT brings a wealth of clinical expertise. Crucially, NSPT administers the ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition), widely regarded as the gold standard for autism diagnosis. Their neuropsychology team’s proficiency in play-based, comprehensive assessments ensures precise and reliable diagnostic benchmarks for BlinkLab’s study.

Enhancing Study Diversity and Early Diagnosis Potential

NSPT’s involvement also broadens the demographic reach of the study. Situated in the diverse Chicago metropolitan area, NSPT provides access to a wide spectrum of pediatric patients, including children as young as 18 months old. This early age focus aligns with BlinkLab’s mission to enable earlier autism detection than traditional methods, which often diagnose around age five. Early diagnosis is critical for timely intervention, potentially improving long-term developmental outcomes.

Alongside PriMED Clinical Research, the first US site in the study, NSPT’s participation strengthens BlinkLab’s capacity to recruit a large and varied cohort of 100 patients for the initial phase. This dual-site approach is expected to streamline recruitment timelines and ensure high-quality, representative data that will underpin regulatory submissions and market adoption strategies.

Bridging Technology and Clinical Excellence

BlinkLab’s diagnostic platform leverages AI and machine learning integrated into smartphone technology, representing a disruptive shift in neurodevelopmental disorder screening. Founded by neuroscientists from Princeton University, the company’s technology aims to democratize access to early autism and ADHD diagnostics, traditionally reliant on resource-intensive clinical assessments.

The collaboration with NSPT not only validates BlinkLab’s technology against the rigorous ADOS-2 standard but also enhances the clinical credibility and real-world applicability of its test. This partnership underscores BlinkLab’s commitment to combining cutting-edge technology with established clinical practices to transform autism diagnostics globally.

As recruitment at NSPT commences in the coming weeks, all eyes will be on the pace and quality of data collection, which will be pivotal for BlinkLab’s next regulatory milestones and commercial rollout.

Bottom Line?

NSPT’s involvement marks a critical step in BlinkLab’s quest to revolutionize early autism diagnosis with scalable, AI-powered tools.

Questions in the middle?

• How quickly will NSPT meet recruitment targets for the 100-patient study phase?
• What interim data might BlinkLab release to demonstrate diagnostic accuracy against ADOS-2?
• Could this partnership pave the way for further clinical collaborations or US market entry strategies?