Brain Research Center

What Brain Research Center does

Brain Research Center is a Netherlands-based, privately-held clinical research organization (CRO) specializing in Phase II drug trials for neurological diseases, primarily Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Dementia with Lewy bodies. Founded in 2009 by Amsterdam UMC, the company operates three full-service research centers in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, and Zwolle, staffed by a permanent team of neurologists, geriatricians, neuropsychologists, and study coordinators. The organization has executed 75 clinical trials enrolling more than 500 participants and is ISO9001-certified, GCP-compliant, and operates a GDPR-compliant proprietary patient management system with in-house laboratory capabilities.

The company generates revenue through three streams: (1) full-service clinical trial execution for pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors, (2) consultancy services for trial design, endpoint definition, and regulatory strategy, and (3) commercial licensing of the proprietary Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire — a psychometrically valid outcome measure for everyday functioning in dementia, available in 28 languages and adopted in 23 trials. Sponsors include Biogen, Roche, MSD, EIP Pharma, and AriBio. Strategic academic and hospital partners include Amsterdam UMC, Jeroen Bosch Hospital, and Isala. Distribution is primarily domestic (Netherlands) with growing global reach via the IADL Questionnaire licensing arm.

Name

Brain Research Center

Legal name

Brain Research Center Holding B.V.

Website

https://brainresearchcenter.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brain Research Center is a Netherlands-based clinical research organization running Phase II neurology trials for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Dementia with Lewy bodies at three Dutch sites, serving global pharmaceutical and biotech sponsors and licensing the proprietary Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Therapeutic-Area CROs (e.g., oncology/rare disease) (HLAGAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Clinical CROs (Phase I–IV) (HLAGAAAA), Patient Recruitment, Site Feasibility & Trial Enablement CROs (HLAGAAAI)

Keywords

• Clinical trial execution
• Neurology drug research
• Contract research services
• Dementia clinical trials
• Alzheimer research

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Clinical Trial Execution Services: Full-service clinical research execution for pharmaceutical companies, biotechs, and CROs. Services include participant recruitment, screening, and trial conduct across three research centers covering most of the Netherlands.
2. Clinical Consultancy: Advisory services for design, implementation, and supervision of clinical trials. Includes study protocol development, endpoint definition, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Consultants can serve on clinical advisory boards and regulatory meetings.
3. Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire Licensing: Commercial licensing of the Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire for use in clinical trials. Partnership established with Amsterdam UMC in January 2022 for global commercial distribution.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brain Research Center is a full-service clinical research organization (CRO) that executes Phase II clinical trials for new drug candidates targeting Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and other neurological conditions. It operates three dedicated research centers in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Den Bosch, Zwolle) staffed by neurologists, geriatricians, neuropsychologists, and study coordinators, providing participant recruitment, pre-screening, full trial conduct, and consultancy/advisory services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO clients.

Product overview

Brain Research Center operates as a full-service clinical research organization connecting patients, pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, and medical specialists to find breakthrough treatments for brain diseases. The company offers two core services: Trial Execution Services (conducting clinical trials at three full-service research centers in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, and Zwolle) and Consultancy Services (expert advisory for clinical trial design and regulatory support). An additional offering is the Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire, a validated outcome measure for dementia trials developed in partnership with Amsterdam UMC. The company conducts clinical trials across three therapeutic areas: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Dementia with Lewy bodies, with multiple active drug candidates in Phase II development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire: A psychometrically valid outcome measure developed to measure meaningful and early changes in everyday functioning for dementia patients. Brain Research Center coordinates commercial licensing of this questionnaire in partnership with Amsterdam UMC.

Products and services

• Trial Execution Services Full-service clinical trial execution at three research centers in Amsterdam, Den Bosch, and Zwolle, covering most of the Netherlands. The service includes participant recruitment, pre-screening, and complete trial conduct with a team of experienced doctors, neuropsychologists, and study coordinators for pharmaceutical, biotech, and CRO clients developing neurological therapies.
• Consultancy Services Expert advisory services for designing, implementing, and supervising clinical trials, including study protocol development, endpoint definition, and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Provides access to international knowledge networks in neurology and geriatrics, with consultants serving on clinical advisory boards and regulatory meetings for biotech, pharma, and CRO clients.
• Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire Psychometrically valid outcome measure for assessing Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) in early dementia, developed in partnership with Amsterdam UMC. Covers modern everyday technology and is suitable for younger populations under 65. Uses Item Response Theory (IRT) scoring for interval-level properties and is commercially licensed for use by sponsors and research organizations running dementia clinical trials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 38 participants randomized in PRImus-AD study, nearly double the original target
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Amsterdam UMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner - Brain Research Center was established in 2009 by Amsterdam UMC. Partnership for the Amsterdam IADL Questionnaire commercial licensing established in January 2022. Amsterdam UMC conducts research (e.g., Efavirenz study) commissioned through Brain Research Center.
• Jeroen Bosch HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for clinical research operations. Hospital serves as referral source and collaborative partner in brain disease research.
• IsalacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for clinical research operations, particularly for the Zwolle location and surrounding region.
• PRinnovation GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the PRImus-AD study (Phase II trial for PRI-002 in Alzheimer's). Collaboration enabled successful recruitment exceeding targets by nearly double.
• Julius ClinicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the PRImus-AD study. Partnership credited for successful recruitment strategy and achievement of study goals.
• EIP PharmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the RewinD-LB study evaluating neflamapimod for Dementia with Lewy bodies treatment.
• BiogencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Celia study (BIIB080 for Alzheimer's) and LUMA study (BIIB122 for Parkinson's disease).
• RochecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Selnoflast study for Parkinson's disease treatment.
• AriBiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of Polaris AD study (AR1001) for early Alzheimer's disease treatment.
• Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of MK-1167 study for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
• Amsterdam UMC (Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned Efavirenz study for early Alzheimer's disease treatment. Research conducted based on Amsterdam UMC findings about cholesterol accumulation in Alzheimer's development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Worldwide Clinical Trials: Mid-sized specialty CRO with a strong neuroscience focus, running Phase I–III neurology and rare-disease trials for pharma sponsors. Comparable to BRC because both compete for the same sponsor neurology trial budget, though Worldwide is materially larger and global.
• CTI Clinical Trial & Consulting Services: Specialty CRO with therapeutic depth in neurology, rare disease, and immunology. Comparable as a mid-sized sponsor-facing CRO competing for neurology Phase II/III trial work, but with broader geographic reach than BRC.
• Julius Clinical: Netherlands-based academic CRO and existing BRC partner. Comparable because both run neuroscience and metabolic trials from a Dutch hub, though Julius operates as a project-management CRO across multiple European sites rather than a dedicated site network.

Broad incumbents

• Medpace: Mid-to-large full-service global CRO with a strong neuroscience therapeutic unit. Comparable as a competing trial-execution vendor for the same pharma sponsors, but it offers full-service global operations versus BRC's Dutch-only site specialization.
• ICON plc: Large global CRO with dedicated biotech and CNS franchises. Comparable as a competitor for sponsor neurology Phase II/III contracts; competes at materially larger scale and breadth than BRC.
• Parexel International: Top-tier full-service CRO with significant neuroscience and rare disease trial execution. Comparable as a competing full-service vendor for the same pharma neuroscience budgets, but operating globally versus BRC's local Dutch footprint.
• IQVIA: World's largest CRO with deep neuroscience and Alzheimer's trial experience. Comparable as the dominant competitor for sponsor neurology trial execution; BRC often serves as a specialty sub-site within IQVIA-managed studies.
• Syneos Health: Large full-service biopharma solutions provider covering clinical development and commercialization across CNS and other therapeutic areas. Comparable as a competing CRO for sponsor CNS trial work at significantly larger scale and geographic reach.
• Charles River Laboratories: Global CRO and preclinical services provider with CNS trial capabilities among others. Comparable in offering trial services to the same pharma neuroscience clients, though it spans preclinical through clinical at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Bioskin: Specialty CRO with neurology and dermatology focus running Phase II–IV trials. Comparable as a niche neurology CRO competing for similar sponsor budgets, though smaller and less established in Alzheimer's pivotal trials than BRC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brainresearchcenternederland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brain-research-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/brainresearchcenter

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brain Research Center