Neurotech

Virginia Gewin offers a report on the growing neurotechnology industry.

Last year, global neurotechnology industry revenues rose 8.3% to US$130.5 billion, says NeuroInsights, a market-analysis firm based in San Francisco, California. Its Neurotechnology Industry 2008 Report, which profiled 500 public and private companies, divided the industry into three sectors: neuropharmaceuticals, neurodevices and neurodiagnostics.

Medtronic in Minneapolis, Minnesota...is developing deep-brain stimulation devices, the latest ones for epilepsy and depression.

The budding area of neurogenesis research..has prompted drug companies to look to start-ups and academia for talent... the development of small molecules to encourage neurogenesis — in which endogenous stem cells mature into neurons — is a "breakthrough area". Swiss-based drug giant AstraZeneca announced last month that it will collaborate with Columbia University's René Hen to explore novel neurogenesis-related depression and anxiety treatments.