AAT Research has head hunted Wolfgang Storf, the former CEO of Novartis-Sandoz in South Africa, as the five-year-old company gets ready for international growth.

“It’s a great opportunity for me as I think AAT has a unique approach to problem solving in the field of brain stimulation and brain modulation. Brain imaging is a fast growing space with the development of solutions in the areas of depression, epilepsy, anxiety, autism and so on.

“Neurotechnology solutions like the ones we are working on – non-invasive, non-pharmacological solutions – present minimal side effects as compared to typical pharmaceuticals.

“The company is right at the beginning of its growth cycle, which makes it a very exciting and challenging time for me to be here. In my career to date, my main focus has been on growing businesses and transforming them into international organisations. This is one of my core goals for AAT,” he said.

AAT Research was founded by neuro­scientist Adrian Attard Trevisan, who developed the world’s first neurofeedback device for home use by children with autism after working on it for some eight years.

The headband, branded as Mente, is worn for 40 minutes a day and uses sound waves to control delta brain waves – which normally subside during waking hours but which remain active in persons with autism.

The product has been optimised since then, and the company has also joined up with international teams researching the potential for brain implants to help epilepsy patients.

It is very important for us to have validation from medical specialists and physicians

But the new chief executive officer, who has 20 years’ experience in this industry, is poised to take the company across the divide between innovation and research to commercialisation.

At present several hundred people use the Mente system but that it just a fraction of the potential when you consider that it affects one per cent of the population, a pretty significant number.

Persuading doctors around the world that it works is clearly a starting point, which will emerge from clinical studies, he admitted. “It is very important for us to have validation from medical specialists and physicians. One way of achieving this is through having independent clinical studies, which show how effective the product is,” he said.

In the meantime, he said that the company has to be ready to cope with growth, which could be dramatic, especially if it is not limited to the current autism products: neuroscience also offers great potential for depression and epilepsy. “Depression is a significant challenge for society as every year, 20 per cent more people are diagnosed with it.

This is a tremendous challenge for the healthcare system and the community. And we will be able to contribute when our portfolio expands and hits the market,” he said.

“My first focus is a 100-day plan to set the right priorities with regards to market attractiveness, so that we can decide which markets to target first in terms of size potential and barriers to entry,” he said.

“The product must have a wider reach to be able to benefit from economies of scale. We think that we will be ready to target new markets this year.”

This means looking at different business models, from having distributors to its own affiliates, and perhaps tweaking them for different markets. The company outsources its manufacture and has 25 staff – but there is plenty of room to grow in its new colourful offices at the Life Sciences Park. He was open-minded when asked about Malta’s role should the company expand dramatically.

“The location is always about what is best for the company. It is essential for us to have a strong partner able to improve the quality of the product while at the same time as reducing costs. It is important for us to remain competitive,” he said.

Dr Attard Trevisan will now take up the role of chief scientific officer and director of product, while Mr Storf will work on getting the products to as many patients as possible, starting with autism therapy.

“What drove me to come here was Adrian: I saw how innovative this company is and how passionate he is. I think we have a very highly developed team which is very performance-oriented, ready to go the extra mile, and this is an amazing start.”

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