The Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) is a new trade association representing a broad spectrum of neurotechnology companies (drugs, devices and diagnostics), brain research centers and brain-illness advocacy groups across the United States and the world.

NIO's mission is to accelerate cures for brain and nervous system diseases by:

- Promoting the neurotechnology industry's progress & contributions to quality of life
- Advocating the neurotech industry's position to regulators and elected officials
- Providing effective business development services to members

NIO's programs increase awareness of neurotechnologies, reduce barriers to investment and innovation and support intelligent long-term growth of the industry.

Why the Neurotechnology Industry Organization now?

Neurotechnology companies face fundamentally different investment requirements, research and development challenges, and regulatory milestones than other life science and healthcare companies. The Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO) was formed to help governments, patients, and companies understand the benefits of neurotech products and the unique needs of this industry.

Learn about the Founder's Circle membership opportunity.

Over 1.5 billion people worldwide and nearly 100 million Americans suffer from a brain or nervous system illness. In addition to untold human suffering, the annual economic burden has reached over $1 trillion dollars worldwide with $300 billion a year in the U.S alone. This burden is accelerating as the population ages and population increases. These factors are creating unprecedented demand for treatments that delay, prevent and cure chronic neurological and psychiatric diseases.

The neurotechnology industry includes companies researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices, as well as diagnostic and surgical equipment for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric illnesses including: Alzheimer's, addiction, anxiety, depression, epilepsy, hearing loss, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pain, Parkinson's, schizophrenia, stroke and more. Together these diseases represent more than 30% of the total burden of disease in established market economies.

Converging technological breakthroughs across a wide variety of industries including biotechnology, information technology and nanotechnology are now making it possible to develop radically new treatments for unmet medical needs.

Despite the clear human need and significant global market opportunity, neurotechnology companies face a host of issues that stifle innovation, growth and the rapid delivery of more effective therapies. NIO was formed to provide commercial neuroscience organizations a collective voice to address these issues.

Please visit the Neurotechnology Industry Organization website for more information. NIO is currently accepting members to the visionary Founder's Circle and will be formally launching the organization later this fall at the Society for Neuroscience conference. Contact me through NIO if you are interested in membership.