Ceretas Secures $2.4 Million Government Grant to Advance Non-Invasive Ultrasound Therapy for Alzheimer's Disease
Key Insights
Brisbane-based Ceretas (search) received a $2.4 million grant from Australia's Medical Research Future Fund to accelerate development of its therapeutic ultrasound device for Alzheimer's treatment.
The device uses focused ultrasound neuromodulation to non-invasively stimulate brain regions linked to memory and cognition, targeting deeper areas without surgery or recovery time.
The technology can temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (search) to help clear amyloid plaques (search) and tau tangles (search) while potentially improving drug delivery to the brain.
Brisbane-based biotechnology company Ceretas (search) has secured a $2.4 million grant from the Australian Government to fast-track development of its next-generation therapeutic ultrasound device designed to treat Alzheimer's disease (search). The competitive funding was awarded through the CUREator+ Dementia (search) & Cognitive Decline program, part of the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) BioMedTech Incubator initiative.
The grant will directly support development of Ceretas (search)' device to improve memory and cognition in Alzheimer's patients, providing a new treatment avenue for neurodegenerative diseases. "This is a significant endorsement of both our technology and our team," said Dr Rachel de las Heras, CEO of Ceretas. "With this support, we can accelerate the development of a world-first Australian solution that has the potential to improve cognition and quality of life for millions of people globally."
Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Technology
The Ceretas (search) device employs focused ultrasound to non-invasively stimulate targeted regions of the brain through a process known as neuromodulation. This approach is designed to enhance connectivity and restore function in brain circuits affected by neurodegenerative disease (search). Unlike traditional neuromodulation techniques that often require surgery or only reach surface-level brain areas, Ceretas' technology can precisely target deeper brain regions linked to memory and cognition without implants or recovery time.
"This is about unlocking the brain's ability to repair and regulate itself," explained Dr de las Heras. "We're building a safe, scalable device that could become a frontline treatment option for Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders."
Blood-Brain Barrier Breakthrough
A key innovation of the device is its ability to safely and temporarily open the blood-brain barrier (search), which represents a major obstacle in brain treatment. This capability helps clear toxic protein build-up of amyloid plaques (search) and tau tangles (search) while potentially improving delivery of therapies that typically cannot reach the brain effectively.
Technology Development and Licensing
Ceretas (search) acquired an exclusive license to the ultrasound technology in 2024 from The University of Queensland's commercialization company UniQuest (search). The technology represents the culmination of approximately $20 million invested in research development over the past decade at the Queensland Brain Institute (search).
The company is developing a non-invasive, safe and portable therapeutic ultrasound platform designed to treat diseases of the brain, with applications extending beyond Alzheimer's to other neurological conditions including depression (search) and addiction (search). The platform aims to unlock targeted drug delivery to the brain and reduce the burden of dementia (search) globally.