VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Algernon Health Inc. (the “Company” or “Algernon”) (CSE: AGN) (FRANKFURT: AGW0) (OTCQB: AGNPF), is pleased to announce that it will be opening its inaugural brain PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanning clinic at the HCA Florida University Medical Office Building in Davie, located on the campus of the HCA Florida University Hospital. Algernon USA LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary, has signed a five-year lease with a renewal option for an additional five-years. The Company plans to open multiple clinics throughout the U.S.
The clinic will be the first location of its kind in the U.S. to provide brain dedicated PET scans to aid in the detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other forms of dementia, as well as epilepsy, neuro-oncology, and movement disorders including Parkinson’s disease. Brain PET scans for beta-amyloid plaque detection (associated with advancing AD) are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance for patients 65+.
The clinic will feature the U.S. FDA-cleared CareMiBrain™ system, a ground-breaking, new standalone diagnostic PET scanner, that does not need an integrated Computed Tomography (CT) component to produce high quality images, resulting in 25% less radiation exposure for patients.
There are two recently U.S. FDA approved monoclonal antibody treatments for AD, which are also covered by Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance, designed to slow the progression of the disease – Leqembi (Eisai and Biogen) and Kisunla (Eli Lilly) – and both require a positive beta-amyloid brain scan (or spinal tap) in order for patients to be authorized to receive them. These drugs have helped create a billion-dollar market opportunity for the brain specific PET scan and AD treatment space.
The nation’s current supply of PET/CT scanners – a hybrid of PET and CT technology – is vastly insufficient to serve the massive new market emerging for AD diagnostics and treatment. The majority of PET/CT scanners, 45% of which are located in hospitals, are primarily prioritized as cancer diagnostic and theranostic tools, and for cardiac imaging, making it challenging to schedule brain-specific scans on a timely basis.
“We are very pleased to be opening our first neuroimaging clinic in a brand-new suite at the HCA Florida University Medical Office Building,” said Christopher J. Moreau, CEO of Algernon. “We look forward to delivering the highest level of care possible to our patients in Florida, as part of a professional healthcare community that is dedicated to medical excellence.”
Business Strategy
Algernon will work in partnership with neurologists, geriatricians, primary care physicians, and other medical professionals and organizations in the local market, to generate brain PET scan patient referrals for each clinic. Algernon will also market directly to the 50+ general population to educate them on the benefits of earlier detection and management of AD onset and introduce them to cognitive testing, blood biomarker testing, and brain PET scans. Beta-amyloid plaques can begin appearing in the brain 15-20 years before the onset of any cognitive symptoms.
In recent findings, the Alzheimer’s Association reports that nearly 80% of Americans surveyed would want to know if they had AD before having symptoms, or before those symptoms interfered with their activities.
Algernon previously announced that it had signed a definitive equipment order and financing agreement with Catalyst MedTech for the provision of four U.S. FDA-cleared CareMiBrain™ systems to be installed in its first four planned clinics. This represents a non-dilutive deal valued at over CAD $4 million and includes an agreement to acquire an additional six systems for the establishment of additional U.S. clinics, on an adjusted cost basis.
Flagship Location & Market Size
The flagship Algernon clinic will be located in Davie, Florida at 7630 SW 34th Manor.
Davie, Florida is in Broward County and is located about 20 minutes southwest of Fort Lauderdale. With a population of over 6.4 million people within a 60-mile radius of the clinic’s location, including 2.5 million people age 50 and over, Algernon will have ready access to the key target markets for the clinic’s brain PET scan services.
Click here for a 3D tour of Algernon’s first neuroimaging clinic: Offices 360 View
HCA Florida University Medical Office Building – Davie, Florida.
The CareMiBrain™ Technology
The Algernon clinics will feature the U.S. FDA cleared CareMiBrain™ system developed by Oncovision, Inc., a European medical technology company, and marketed exclusively in the U.S. by Catalyst MedTech. The PET scanner features an exclusive detector technology platform – continuous monolithic crystal, silicon photomultiplier arrays, custom electronics, and proprietary software – designed to optimize clarity, quantification, and patient compliance.
CareMiBrain™ PET Scan System
Unlike a standard PET/CT scanner, which combines PET with CT for attenuation correction and anatomical localization, the CareMiBrain™ is a standalone PET system without an integrated CT component. This eliminates the additional ionizing radiation from the CT scan, which is a key factor in reducing overall patient radiation exposure by as much as 25% over current PET/CT scanners. As an ultra-high resolution, brain optimized PET scanner, the CareMiBrain™ system additionally provides:
- <1.6 mm spatial resolution for advanced neurological diagnostics
- Proven performance in >600 patients, including beta-amyloid and tau imaging (U.S. FDA-cleared)
- Ergonomic, reclining chair design with ultra-fast acquisition times, enhancing patient comfort and avoiding claustrophobia sensations
- Standard wall outlet power (115–240V), low heat generation, small room requirements (~8’x13’)
- Fully integrated acquisition, quantification, and reconstruction software
- Approximately 660 lbs allowing for varied placement in conventional space
- Optional integration with SynterMed NeuroQ4™ for quantitative brain analysis
Algernon will provide an update shortly on its planned official clinic opening date, as well as when it will begin accepting referrals and begin PET scanning of patients.
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