Company Spotlight: Charco Neurotech

Charco Neurotech’s CUE1 and CUE1+ devices offer a novel, non-invasive approach for people with Parkinson’s. Can you explain how these devices work and the impact they have on improving quality of life?

Worn on the sternum, the CUE devices utilise two scientifically proven principles to alleviate symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

First, the devices deliver focused vibrotactile stimulation, which activates specific peripheral nerve fibres called Pacinian corpuscles. Messages from these sensory receptors travel to the central nervous system, where they modulate pathological brain activity. People with Parkinson’s disease have elevated levels of beta brain wave activity, and stimulation from CUE devices actively disrupts and reduces these beta oscillations, placing the brain in a more ready-to-move state.

CUE devices also utilise vibration “cueing” to improve gait and balance. Cues are discrete sensory inputs that facilitate and enhance motor execution. People with Parkinson's often underestimate time intervals, and our rhythmic cueing provides an external timing stimulus to ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Published evidence shows that cueing may lead to positive improvements in cadence, stride length, gait initiation, and turning.

What are the biggest challenges faced by people living with Parkinson’s, and how does Charco Neurotech address these challenges in ways that current treatments cannot?

Parkinson’s disease currently affects approximately 9 million people globally, a number projected to grow significantly in the next ten years. Although pharmacological treatments such as levodopa remain the cornerstone of care, they do not comprehensively control all motor symptoms, often resulting in side effects such as dyskinesia and impulse control disorders. Approximately 40–70% of people with Parkinson’s fall each year, and one-third fall repeatedly. People with Parkinson's consume vast amounts of healthcare resources arising from falls in the home, leading to fractures, ambulance requests, non-elective surgeries, and long-term inpatient stays.

Consequently, there is a clear unmet clinical need for adjunctive interventions, such as the CUE devices, which deliver effective symptom control without adding to the medication burden. CUE1+ specifically addresses motor control challenges like freezing of gait and poor balance, thus proactively reducing fall risks. Given a healthcare focus on proactive, preventative care that delivers clinical effectiveness and economic efficiency, CUE1+ represents a timely and strategically aligned solution to address current gaps in care for Parkinson’s patients at high risk of falling.

What has been the response from patients and healthcare providers to the CUE1 and CUE1+ so far, and how do you see these devices being integrated into standard Parkinson’s care?

Following our successful Direct-to-Consumer launch, clinical teams in multiple UK hospitals contacted Charco Neurotech to inquire how the CUE1+ can be trialled and deployed in their clinical practices. Healthcare providers are desperate for safe and clinically proven interventions to support their management of Parkinson’s disease.

In the real world, Charco Neurotech has collected and analysed more than 100 responses from CUE1 users to evaluate the device's effectiveness and user satisfaction. Regarding overall satisfaction, 37.5% of users were very satisfied, and 34.3% were satisfied with the device.

Regarding symptom impact, 73% reported improvements due to the CUE1, with significant improvement rates for specific symptoms:

• Quality of Life at 61.3%
• Walking at 57.1%
• Slowness at 53.5%
• Stiffness at 50%
• Balance 45.9%
• Tremor 40.7%
• Freezing of Gait 36.0%
• Posture 36.0%.

How important is investment in advancing non-invasive technologies like the CUE1, and what message would you like to share with the life sciences investment community about the potential of Charco Neurotech?

Investment in non-invasive technologies like the CUE1+ is vital to transforming Parkinson’s care. Traditional treatments focus mainly on medication and invasive procedures. Still, innovations such as the CUE1+, a vibrotactile wearable that delivers gentle stimulation to improve movement, offer a safe, accessible, and patient-friendly alternative. Continued investment enables further clinical validation, commercialisation, and broader access for those with Parkinson’s disease worldwide. Charco Neurotech exemplifies how human-centred design and rigorous science can come together to restore independence and quality of life. To the life sciences investment community: supporting companies like Charco is a sound commercial opportunity in a growing global market and a chance to accelerate a paradigm shift in neurotherapeutics. Non-invasive neuromodulation has enormous untapped potential, and with strategic investment, technologies like CUE1 can redefine how we treat neurological conditions, delivering hope and tang

Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Parkinson’s care and the role Charco Neurotech will play in shaping that future? What opportunities do you see for innovation and collaboration in the life sciences industry?

The future of Parkinson’s care is shifting toward personalised, patient-empowered therapy. Advances in digital health, data analytics, and wearable neuromodulation are enabling treatments tailored to everyone’s unique symptoms and daily patterns. Charco Neurotech is at the forefront of this change, combining medical technology, engineering, and patient feedback to transform how we manage Parkinson’s. The CUE1+ is just the beginning; continuous data insights from such devices could one day guide adaptive therapies, monitor disease progression, and optimise medication use in real time. Collaboration between clinicians, researchers, and innovators will be essential to accelerate these breakthroughs. The opportunity for the life sciences community lies in integrating technology and compassionate design to create holistic care ecosystems. Together, we can move from symptom management toward truly improving long-term quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Find out more at: www.charconeurotech.com