A start-up focussed on patient recruitment for clinical trials is to use its data to find patients for open clinical trials and will offer its services for free to the COVID-19 research community.
Citruslabs (formerly MindMate) was founded by Susanne Mitschke (CEO), Patrick Renner (COO) and Roger Arellano (CTO) in 2015.
Backed by research from the University of Glasgow’s institute of cardiovascular science, the trio came up with MindMate, an app that combines brain games, healthy nutrition, regular exercise and social interaction and aims to reduce some of the effects of cognitive decline.
The company has since been working on over 200 different clinical trials to date with large sponsors, leading CROs (contract research organizations) and research sites recruiting patients via their award-winning app MindMate and other partner apps.
To accelerate COVID-19 trials the firm is now offering patients free of charge to all sponsors, CROs, and sites that are currently running COVID-19 trials.
Citruslabs has raised $5mto date, and is backed by investors including 2048 Ventures, One Way Ventures, Mucker Capital and Launch Capital.
Mitschke, CEO and cofounder of Citruslabs, said: “We have developed a virtual circle through collaboration that benefits both our commercial partners, who get more patients in a more cost-effective manner, and patients who get secure access to the latest methods of treatment.
“Conditions like COVID-19 affect so many of us, not only the sufferers but family, friends and the support systems around those suffering, and we want to be part of the team who find a vaccine and treatment.”
Renner, COO and co-founder of Citruslabs added: “At a time when patients are increasingly using apps and wearable devices to understand their condition, Citruslabs will play a crucial part in accelerating research all around the globe.”
In 2015 the company was selected as the first ever Scottish start-up to join Techstars NYC accelerator programme.
This year, Renner, Mitschke and Arellano were named as Allstars on Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs by Forbes.
Glasgow University named Mitschke and Renner Alumni of the Year 2018.