The Femtech & Women’s Health edition of ‘Discovery Spark’ supports early stage businesses working to close the gender health gap.

Discovery Park has announced Minter Hormone Health as the winner of the Discovery Spark FemTech and Women’s Health Prize, following a competitive pitch process to three expert panels. 

The Women’s Health startup will now receive a prize package worth over £50K, including one year of lab or office space at Discovery Park and a package of support from specialist prize partners. 

Discovery Park is a thriving life science and innovation community, committed to supporting innovative organisations transforming women’s health. This announcement marks the culmination of the seven week Discovery Spark programme, with a cohort of 11 promising companies attending sessions at Discovery Park, in Sandwich. The growth and support programme prepared early stage businesses for success in investment pitches, with learnings on people, teams and brand, presentation and communication, and business metrics and markets. 

Founded by nurse Lexie Minter, Minter Hormone Health is a specialist healthcare provider offering personalised care for women experiencing perimenopause, menopause, PCOS, endometriosis, contraceptive and reproductive health needs. The company provides consultations and hormone health services across the UK via a virtual platform and at in-person clinics in London and Kent. Each patient receives a personalised service tailored to their unique needs and medical history, including bespoke hormone replacement therapies. 

Lexie Minter, founder of Minter Hormone Health, said: “Empowering women is fundamental to what we do and our patients value the exceptional service they receive in our clinics. We aim to roll-out our high level of expert care across the UK via a network of women’s health hubs that will be accessible to all. We must engage with women who are underserved and whose needs are not met by the current healthcare system. We will invest in research and change the future of women’s health for all, not just the few.”  

“The Discovery Spark programme has been hugely rewarding and insightful.  We are thrilled to be recognised with this award and the prize package brings us one step closer to our goal of improving healthcare outcomes, delivering female-centred care based on women’s unique physiology and ensuring equitable treatment for all.”

Dr Renos Savva, Programme Lead and Head of Innovation and Venture Development at Discovery Park, said: “We had an exceptional cohort for our FemTech and Women’s Health programme, reflecting the strength of companies working tirelessly to close the gender health gap. A massive congratulations to Minter Hormone Health, as the competition was fierce, with just four points between the top five. Discovery Spark exists to champion early stage businesses, and I’m immensely proud of the strides made by this group.” 

A third iteration of the Discovery Spark programme is opening for applications in August and starting in October. Interested early stage businesses are encouraged to sign up for notifications. https://discovery-park.co.uk/lp/discovery-spark-register-your-interest/ 

The drill pitch session was held on 4th July and included keynote speeches from Wendy Powell CEO, Mutu, a leading global digital health platform clinically recommended for perinatal pelvic health, and Juliet Gouldman, Head of Strategic and External Engagement at Barclays.

The FemTech and Women’s Health Discovery Spark Drill Pitch Day was contested by 8 (listed alphabetically) of the 11 companies from the programme: BodyOwn, Cooden Cosmetics, Cyril Protect, imphatec Ltd, Minter Hormone Health, Pelvity, S.M. Discovery Group (SMDG), and Young Mums Support Network.

The Discovery Spark programme is run in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, NHS Kent and Medway, plus Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex. 

Prize partners for the Discovery Spark programme included: 

• One year of office or lab space at Discovery Park 
• Legal support from Abel + Imray
• Business support from Barclays Eagle Labs
• Accountancy support from Kreston Reeves LLP
• Data support from Project Fusion
• Brand Strategy from The Good Stuff
• Talent and Board advice from SRG Talent 

Judges at the Discovery Spark Drill pitches were: 

Discovery Spark Prize Partners:

• Philippa Clark – Senior Client Development Manager at SRG Talent
• Janne Bate – Principal Search Consultant – Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences at SRG Talent
• Ceri Cook – Accounts & Outsourcing Senior Manager at Kreston Reeves
• David Rosevear – Business Services Manager at Kreston Reeves
• Tim Hewson – Of Counsel, Chartered UK and European Patent Attorney, Abel + Imray
• James Easley – Co-Founder of The Good Stuff Group
• Renos Savva – Head of Innovation and Venture Development, Discovery Park 

Health & Regulatory Experts: 

• Jenny Partridge – Innovation Manager, NHS Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex
• Wendy Powell – CEO, Mutu
• Nicola Ellis–Webb – Healthcare Services Director, Acacium Group
• Dianne Lee – CEO, DLRC

Investors: 

• Joanna Gould – Ada Ventures
• Naz Bashir – Evolutia Venture Partners

Discovery Park is committed to supporting women in business and innovative organisations transforming women’s health.

Contact us for more information on business support and investment opportunities currently available.

Discovery Park welcomed experts in healthy ageing to its Innovation Summit on 20th June, calling for the life science network in Kent to join forces to make the county a leader in healthy ageing and longevity. 

Over 230 attendees came together at the one day event to discuss innovation in healthcare, taking a close look at trends in healthy ageing, developing more integrated care, and the role of digital collaboration in future healthcare delivery.

Over-85s are the UK’s fastest growing age group. Healthy ageing needs both biomedical and societal innovations, but data shows that if everyone in the UK had an extra year of healthy living, it would be worth a huge £5 trillion to the UK economy. 

Keynote speaker Ian Philp, Founder, Age Care Technologies, said: “The Innovation Summit brought together an incredible network of experts working in technology, drug discovery, medicine and academia. Using this momentum, we are on a mission to make Kent a leader in longevity and ageing well, where healthy ageing is accessible to everyone. Ageing is a fact of life, and we all have a personal stake in this important endeavour.” 

Discovery Park tenant Age Care Technologies are currently running a national demonstration project in East Kent, looking at preventive care for older people. This uses the world’s leading tools to allow older people to report concerns for their health, independence and wellbeing, connecting them to support as well as providing data for policymakers to improve services, to meet the needs of an ageing population. Next year, Discovery Park will host a delegation of leaders in the care of older people from Japan and Taiwan, to learn about the innovative work of Age Care Technologies.

Mayer Schreiber, CEO at Discovery Park, said: “Healthy ageing is a significant challenge that affects us all. With the proportion of people over 60 expected to double by 2050, it is essential that we foster innovation and develop technologies to address the complexities of ageing. From combating loneliness to enhancing integrated care, we want to champion people-focused solutions. 

Discovery Park is at the forefront of scientific and technological advancements, and our annual Innovation Summit plays a vital role in bringing together this dynamic network to forge connections and drive meaningful progress.” 

Alongside speeches, networking and workshops, Discovery Park held an opening ceremony for its new shared lab space, CoLab, in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University. Designed to support early-stage life science businesses, CoLab provides flexible bench space in a collaborative coworking environment.

Other Innovation Summit keynote speakers at the event included Cynthia Bullock, Deputy Director of the Healthy Ageing Challenge, Innovate UK, and Sally-Ann Emmas, Strategy & Innovation Leader, Medicines Discovery Catapult. 

Martin Carpenter, Digital Transformation Officer, NHS Kent & Medway and Hassan Chaudhury, Commercial Director, DATA-CAN took part in a fireside chat about the future of digital collaboration. 

A panel discussion on Healthy Aging was chaired by Rakesh Koria, Ageing & Dying Well Clinical Lead NHS SE, and included Ian Philp, Founder, Age Care Technologies, David Wilkinson, Professor of Psychology, University of Kent, and Sarah Bradnum, Communications Lead, The Joy Club. 

Closing the morning session, Cornelia Wilson, Reader and Academic Laboratory Director, CCCU gave an introduction to Discovery Park’s new CoLab shared lab facility, with final remarks from Mayer Schreiber, CEO at Discovery Park. 

The afternoon included four workshops, covering different themes: 

• The Leadership Team of the BSG SIG on Ageing, Business and Society
• Unity Insights: Importance of Evaluation for the Adoption of New Technologies in Healthcare
• Navigating Digital Inclusion in Ageing and Dementia
• DLRC Regulatory Consultancy: How to Communicate with Regulators

Partners for the event included Age Care Technologies, NHS and the Medicines Discovery Catapult.

Discovery Park, Kent’s thriving life science and innovation community, is preparing to welcome 300 healthcare innovators to its campus on Thursday 20th June for its second annual Innovation Summit, with only final spots remaining. 

This year’s summit has a focus on innovation in healthcare, taking a close look at trends in healthy ageing, breakthroughs in medicine and life science, and the role of digital collaboration in future healthcare delivery.

 

The one day event at Discovery Park’s campus in Sandwich includes morning  keynote speeches from leaders including Cynthia Bullock, Deputy Director of the Healthy Ageing Challenge, Innovate UK, and Ian Philp, Founder, Age Care Technologies. With time for networking throughout, the day concludes with a choice of afternoon workshops, with specialist sessions on Navigating Digital Inclusion in Ageing and Dementia and How to Communicate with Regulators. 

Jane Kennedy, Chief Business Officer at Discovery Park, said: “We are excited to welcome healthcare leaders to Discovery Park for our second Innovation Summit, exploring the transformative trends shaping the future of health, medicine, and life science. Along with expert insights, the Summit provides important networking opportunities amongst influential attendees, including esteemed academics, industry leaders, and innovative entrepreneurs.” 

 

More information and the event agenda is available on Discovery Park’s website: https://discovery-park.co.uk/innovation-summit/ 

Attendees are encouraged to secure their free spot now, by registering here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/innovation-summit-tickets-811221283697?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Partners for the event include Age Care Technologies, NHS and Medicines Discovery Catapult. 

Last week, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Gareth Jones, Founder of Discovery Park-based Wave Search, to discuss his latest venture: RecBox.

In our insightful conversation, Gareth shared the inspiration behind RecBox and how its advanced features aim to streamline every stage of recruitment.

 

 

Can you start by sharing a bit about you and your professional journey? 

My name is Gareth Jones, and I’m the Co-Founder of RecBox, alongside my business partner, Elkie Holland. With nearly 20 years in the recruitment industry, I have a deep passion for AI and recruitment technology. Since 2015, I’ve been running my business, Wave Search, at Discovery Park. Our journey led us to develop RecBox, a revolutionary recruitment productivity tool. In late 2023, we partnered with KTB Technologies, a market leader in workforce management technology, to bring RecBox to life!

 

What is RecBox?

RecBox is an AI-powered recruitment toolkit designed to streamline and enhance every stage of the hiring process. It provides recruiters with a suite of tools to make smarter, faster, and more efficient hiring decisions. The beauty of RecBox lies in its simplicity—a user-friendly dashboard allows users to complete repetitive and time-consuming tasks in seconds, with just one click, using a CV or job description.

 

What inspired you to develop RecBox, and how does it address the pain points recruiters face?

Elkie and I saw the potential of AI and automation to address inefficiencies in the hiring process. Recruiters often spend countless hours on manual tasks, missing out on top talent. RecBox was created to tackle these pain points by automating routine tasks and enhancing candidate matching through AI technology. This not only reduces the time and cost to hire but also improves the quality of hires, benefiting recruiters, talent acquisition professionals, and their clients or stakeholders.

 

Is RecBox just for recruiters? Can you share a bit about the use cases?

While RecBox is a powerful tool for recruiters, its applications extend beyond traditional recruitment roles. HR professionals, talent acquisition specialists, and hiring managers can all benefit from its features. HR teams can streamline internal hiring processes, and hiring managers can make data-driven decisions. Essentially, anyone involved in the hiring process can find value in RecBox.

 

What measures has RecBox implemented to protect sensitive recruitment information?

Security is a top priority for RecBox. We’ve implemented robust measures to protect sensitive information, including secure cloud storage and stringent access controls. Our platform undergoes regular security audits and updates to ensure data is safeguarded against potential threats. Additionally, we comply with all relevant data protection regulations, giving our users peace of mind regarding the security of their information.

 

What future features can users expect from RecBox?

We have an exciting roadmap for RecBox with several innovative features in development. We’re working on advanced integration tools so users can connect RecBox to their current CRM, ATS, or HR software for a more seamless experience. Our goal is to continuously evolve RecBox to meet the changing needs of the recruitment industry and provide our users with the best possible tools for success.

 

Find out more about RecBox and how it can help you here.

Discovery Park, Kent’s thriving life science community, has opened the doors to CoLab, a new shared lab facility. In partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University, CoLab has been specially designed for early-stage life science businesses, providing flexible bench space in a collaborative coworking environment.

 

Dr Cornelia Wilson, Senior Lecturer and Academic Laboratory Director at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: “Finding lab space is too often a blocker for promising life science spin outs and startups, and CoLab exists to solve this. This specialist lab offers flexible and cost-effective space in a collaborative environment, with a dedicated lab technician onsite to provide expert advice and remove the stress of lab management.” 

 

The three first tenants who have moved in CoLab include:

• RS & RS Scientific, who are focused on new innovative molecular strategies in the field of cancer research, aiming to improve understanding and manipulation of complex tumours to pave the way for more effective and personalised cancer therapies.
• BioFlares, a specialist in bioluminescence imaging tools and solutions to allow complex genetic information to be viewed using bright molecules, with applications in cancer research, gene therapy and stem cell research.
• Phlow, a start up revolutionising menstrual hygiene management with a biodegradable, non-plastic flushable period pad, using cellulose.

 

CoLab tenants benefit from being located at Discovery Park, a thriving life science community with an on-site Barclays Eagle Lab, giving access to free business mentoring and investor connections. Discovery Park also has an onsite innovation team and its own investment fund, Discovery Park Ventures. 

 

Reza Salimi, Co-Founder at RS & RS Scientific and CoLab tenant: “We’re excited to join the thriving life science and tech hub of Discovery Park. Being based at the CoLab provides us with invaluable opportunities for collaboration and business support. The Discovery Park team members are very supportive, enhancing our experience and helping us grow. The location in Kent also means we are close to both Europe and London, allowing us access to everything we need and to expand into future markets.”

 

Renos Savva, Head of Innovation at Discovery Park, said: “CoLab provides tailored space and resources for emerging life science businesses, but importantly also a network of like-minded innovators. This latest industry-academia partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University demonstrates how Discovery Park provides a community for visionary entrepreneurs and leaders, and the ideal environment for businesses to start, scale and succeed.”

 

Discovery Park is offering up to 6 months free membership to CoLab for eligible businesses. With flexible terms, life science businesses can rent a single bench space for up to two people within a state-of-the-art CAT 2 lab, plus access to a write-up desk. CoLab has an experienced lab technician on hand as well as access to a diverse range of specialist equipment, enabling companies to more easily scale and develop without the need for heavy capital investment. CoLab equipment includes microfuges, autoclaves, fume cupboards, incubators, cell culture facilities, protein and DNA electrophoresis.

 

CoLab companies can also access more extensive or specialist state-of-the-art technology at Canterbury Christ Church University’s main campus in Canterbury, Kent. The University has a team of industry-leading experts to support businesses, from undertaking component analysis to providing a comprehensive package of analytical and technical support. The University has simplified the process for CoLab businesses to access their experts, ensuring rapid delivery, precision and complete confidentiality. 

 

Finding lab space is a key challenge for new life science companies. In London, available lab space makes up less than 25% of current demand, with the capital seeing a 61% increase year-on-year in new company incorporations. 

 

More information: https://discovery-park.co.uk/shared-lab-space/

The Femtech & Women’s Health edition of ‘Discovery Spark’ champions early stage businesses working to close the gender health gap

 

Sandwich, Kent, UK / 30th May 2024 / Discovery Park, Kent’s thriving life science and innovation community, announced the selection of 11 promising start-ups in FemTech & Women’s Health to join Discovery Spark, their growth and support programme for early stage businesses. 

 

Igniting the growth of businesses solving women’s health challenges, the special female-focused edition of the Discovery Spark programme offers tailored mentoring and support for start-ups, preparing founders for success in investment pitches. The programme kicked off with a session at Discovery Park on 21st May, with more sessions spread over the next seven weeks.  Concluding with Pitch Day on 4th July, the cohort will compete to win a prize package worth over £50K, including 1 year of lab or office space at Discovery Park, alongside invaluable support from specialist partners. 

 

Discovery Park selected FemTech & Women’s Health as the focus of their special edition Discovery Spark programme in response to the Government’s  Women’s Health Strategy, which highlighted the lack of representation in medical research and shortfall in healthcare solutions specifically for women. Despite living longer, the average woman spends nearly a quarter of her life in poor health, compared with a fifth for men. Tacking female health inequalities is a focus for the South East region, with a partnership approach between Discovery Park, Kent and Medway Medical School, the NHS Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board and Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex. 

 

Discovery Spark is led by Dr Renos Savva, Head of Innovation at Discovery Park and a recognised scientist, entrepreneur and venture development lead. Speaking about the new programme, Renos said:“Discovery Park is committed to championing the next generation of life science leaders, but even we were overwhelmed with the number of applications received for this edition of Discovery Spark. The 11 selected companies represent the best-of-the-best in new innovations for women’s health, helping to address the ‘missing 52%’ in health equity: Women make up the majority, yet continue to be overlooked in healthcare, with the UK having the largest female gender health gap in the G20.”

 

Companies selected for the Discovery Spark Femtech & Women’s Health Edition includes imphatec, an inventor of a pioneering subcutaneous drug delivery platform which aims to revolutionise the treatment of chronic and long-term illnesses, many of which disproportionately affect and unnecessarily burden women. The company recently went through their first seed round, raising significant capital. 

 

Also included is Hulk Bio, winner of the Scottish EDGE Wild Card award 2024. This biotech is transforming infant nutrition by offering a stem cell-based human milk alternative when breastfeeding is not possible. BodyOwn is aiming to simplify management of female sexual and reproductive health by providing a central point for validated information, care services, and assisted guidance, using tech to set new standards of care for women’s health. Personalised care provider Minter et AI Hormone Health is striving to improve access for women seeking diagnosis and treatment of perimenopause and the menopause, providing consultations and hormone health services both virtually and in-person. 

 

Organised as three immersive sessions held over the summer, Discovery Spark takes place at Discovery Park, Sandwich, and includes overnight accommodation for those taking part. Each session lasts for two-days, covering people, teams and brand, presentation and communication, and business metrics and markets. The programme is run in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, NHS Kent and Medway, plus Health Innovation Kent Surrey Sussex. 

 

Dr MaryAnn Ferreux, Chief Medical Officer at Health Innovation KSS, a partner of the FemTech & Women’s Health Special Edition Discovery Spark, said: “Passionate innovators are key to addressing health equity. The Discovery Spark programme exists to champion these promising businesses, along with providing all important networks for collaboration and ideas sharing. At the first Discovery Spark day, our Commercial and Enterprise team led a session on developing and understanding your value proposition. This is critical for all innovators of any stage of development, to help them to recognise the problem that they wish to solve and the impact that they expect their solution would make to systems and patients. We look forward to providing further innovator support as the programme continues.”

 

The 11 companies selected for the 2024 cohort are (listed alphabetically):

 

BodyOwn

BodyOwn is an early-stage start-up dedicated to simplifying women’s management of their sexual and reproductive health journeys. They provide a central access point for validated information, services, and assisted guidance, with privacy and inclusivity at the core.

Founders – Nayol Santos & Ruby Lai

 

Cooden Cosmetics

Frustrated by the significant unmet needs in medicine and inspired by the potential of scientific breakthroughs, this Imperial start-up was founded with a unified mission: ‘To create creams that address these critical gaps.’ Cooden Cosmetics are dedicated to developing innovative solutions that bring real relief and improvement to those who need it most.

Founders – James Millett & Conor Crooks

 

Etre Libre

Creating a Hybrid-Care technology platform which monitors health and wellbeing is an advanced analytics and data modelling platform for the Healthcare market, due to its design it can be utilised in multiple settings. Designed in partnership with Healthcare professionals and victims.

Founders – Katy Longhurst & Alison Mitchell-Hall

 

Hulk Bio

Hulk is transforming infant nutrition by offering a stem cell-based human milk alternative when breastfeeding isn’t possible. Addressing a gap in a $50B+ industry, they provide an option beyond traditional animal milk-based formulas that often fail to meet the compatibility needs of many infants.

Founder – Christina Rode

 

Imphatec

Imphatec has invented and developed a new subcutaneous drug delivery platform to revolutionise the treatment of chronic and long-term illnesses and for disease prevention. This allows patients to be free from the worries of noncompliance and dosing issues, including poor absorption from traditional regular dose tablet medication.

Founders – James Catt & Hassan Morad

 

Joii

Joii is transforming menstrual health management by leveraging artificial intelligence to develop the world’s first mobile application that can identify heavy menstrual bleeding, affecting 1 in 3 women globally. This solution aims to improve early monitoring, treatment, and diagnosis for numerous gynaecological health conditions related to heavy periods.

Founders – Justyna Strzeszynska & Danielle Nader

 

Make your path

Make Your Path is a Digital Health startup with ambitions to improve health and wellbeing through physical activity. It provides a digital platform with a live directory, matching system, and app that supports 1) clinicians to refer patients to safe and targeted non-medicalised activities effortlessly and with confidence to improve physical and mental health outcomes, and 2) employers to promote health and well-being amongst staff, esp. those working in sedentary, desk-based jobs.

Founders – Cindy Regalado & Amit Bansal

 

Minter et AI Hormone Health

Minter et Al is a private healthcare provider specialising in personalised care for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The company provides consultations and hormone health services UK-wide via virtual platforms and in-person clinics in Kent and London. Each patient receives tailored services, including bespoke hormone replacement therapies (HRT).

Founder – Lexie Minter

 

Peach

Peach is a new startup founded by four women with a passion for women’s health. Peach aims to increase awareness of pelvic health conditions and will deliver expert physiotherapy care by means of an online platform integrating personalised health coaching, nutrition guidance and biofeedback technology.

Founders – Rebecca Hyman & Naomi Hyman

 

S.M. Discovery Group (SMDG)

SMDG is a pre-clinical biotechnology company with extensive in-vitro and in-vivo data package, designing and delivering safe and effective therapies for some of the most debilitating diseases which impact women. SMDG has developed patent protected therapeutic platforms for targeted delivery of hard to deliver therapeutics across biological barriers and anti-inflammatory modalities.

Founders – Shadi Farhangrazi & Moein Moghimi

 

Young Mums Support Network

The Young Mums Support Network (YMSN) founded by Fiona Small in 2011, is a dedicated Community Interest Company that provides essential support to young mothers. With a focus on empowering these young women, YMSN offers a variety of tailored programs designed to help them navigate through the complexities of motherhood.

Founder – Fiona Small

 

Discovery Park is committed to supporting women in business and innovative organisations transforming women’s health. Contact Discovery Park for more information on business support and investment opportunities currently available.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Aileen McGettrick, Chief Scientific Officer at Prolight Diagnostics, located at Discovery Park. With Prolight entering a phase of rapid growth, we were eager to learn more about their innovative new technology and what it means for the future!

 

 

Can you share more about the technology you are developing and how it will help people?

Prolight Diagnostics is developing a point of care (POC) blood testing system based on proprietary single molecule counting technology capable of detecting extremely low levels of biomarkers in 10 minutes or less.

The technology originated 2018 in start-up Psyros Diagnostics Ltd, of which I’m one of the 4 co-founders. After acquisition of the company by Prolight Diagnostics in 2022 the POC system itself has now been branded Psyros™.

The Psyros™ system consists of a portable instrument and single use disposable cartridge that requires only a drop of blood to perform a test. It has been designed to be simple, easy to use near the patient, with a very competitive low cost. With the ability to multiplex and measure several biomarkers at the same time it has huge potential.

The ambition is to have test results available to doctors within ten minutes to allow rapid diagnosis and treatment when the patient is examined the first time, instead of spending critical time waiting for results from a hospital laboratory. Potential settings include the emergency department (ED), healthcare centres, ambulances, and care homes.

Initially, our cutting-edge technology is being used to develop a diagnostic POC test that measures the protein troponin with high sensitivity and accuracy, to aid in the rule-in and rule-out of heart attack. By measuring troponin, which is released from the heart into the bloodstream during a heart attack, the test helps to make a rapid diagnosis.

The vast majority (>90%) of chest-pain patients presenting to the ED are discharged safely without a diagnosis of heart attack. Tools that can help clinicians rapidly assess patients are of great benefit. The true utility for POC troponin tests is fast, safe rule out of chest pain patients. This has the potential for more efficient resource utilisation in the ED and cost savings for healthcare systems

The lower the detection limit of the system, the more accurately it can measure troponin at the relevant concentrations. This is where Psyros™ single molecule counting system has a strong competitive advantage.

 

 

Why did you choose Discovery Park as your base of operations, and how has the location benefited your company?

We chose Discovery Park initially in 2020 as the four founders of Psyros were all based in Kent. We were looking for a small lab with associated office space that we could expand as the company grew. During those early years, we also wanted to be part of a community with other start-ups and benefit from the support Discovery Park offered for networking and potential fundraising.

After the acquisition of Psyros by Prolight in 2022 we expanded rapidly and now have 20 staff based here and occupy over 5x our original space.

 

 

What recent milestones or achievements is Prolight Diagnostics most proud of?

The product development of the Psyros™ system has been progressing at speed over the last few years leading to many achievements that we’re very proud of.

Our plan is to develop and finalise our platform all the way to a commercial POC system that is ready for clinical validation by the end of 2024.

Key milestones have included proof of performance for our high sensitive troponin assay in whole blood down in the single digit ng/L range, gaining our ISO13485 accreditation and selecting external partners for the instrument and the cartridge manufacture.

Receiving a prestigious NIHR i4i Product Development Award (PDA) early this year for £1.26M was a great achievement and is external validation of the utility of our unique technology. The grant which is in collaboration with among others, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College London will help support the final stages of product development through to launch. This includes pilot manufacturing of instruments, initial clinical studies with patient samples, technical file submission and set-up of a patient advisory group.

 

 

How does Prolight Diagnostics stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving field of diagnostics?

Our unique technology opens the possibility of developing new POC tests in a wide range of clinical areas that were previously only possible in specialised laboratories.

Some examples of possible future clinical areas are neuropathology (dementia, traumatic brain injuries), immune system dysfunction (sepsis, autoimmune diseases) and rapid virus detection such as Covid.

 

 

What does the future look like for Prolight Diagnostics, and what exciting developments can we expect to see in the coming years?

We are now ready to initiate studies on both banked clinical samples, and fresh clinical samples in UK hospitals. This includes, as part of our i4i PDA award, testing the Psyros™ high sensitivity troponin assay at St Thomas’ Hospital in London with patient blood samples.

These pre-clinical studies are designed to precede and de-risk our full clinical performance study planned for early 2025. This large performance study will validate the system and generate data for regulatory approval in Europe. The launch of our first product, the Psyros™ high sensitivity troponin assay, will follow in 2026.

Troponin is only the start, Psyros™ is a platform technology capable of measuring many other biomarkers in blood. The unique technology and multiplexing capabilities will make it possible to test a range of biomarkers with high sensitivity and accuracy on a single POC instrument.

Two flourishing life sciences companies, A4P and Logical Biological, both based at UK science park, Discovery Park in Kent, have been honoured with the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade.

They are two of 252 organisations nationally recognised with a prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise, across four categories – International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity (through Social Mobility).

It comes a year after eXroid, also based at Discovery Park, was awarded a King’s Award for Innovation for their work in developing a treatment for haemorrhoid sufferers.

A4P is a scientific consultancy specialising in bioanalytical and biosample project management, biomarker strategy and logistics solutions in support of clinical research around the world. A4P recently joined Texas-based LabConnect, forming a combined international team which brings an unparalleled breadth and depth of technical and scientific expertise to help clients successfully achieve pre clinical and clinical trial objectives sooner.

A4P was founded in 2012 and has been located at Discovery Park since inception, being one of the first tenants to move into Innovation House. All original A4P Directors had previously worked for Pfizer, located at Discovery Park.

Logical Biological specialise in providing human serum, plasma, swabs, tissues, PBMCs and other biospecimens for diagnostics and therapeutic research and development. They supply bulk volumes or clinical samples from diseased and healthy patients from donor centres and blood banks around the globe.

Jane Kennedy, Chief Business Officer at Discovery Park, said: “Having a trio of King’s Award winners based at Discovery Park highlights the incredible innovation that is happening right here in Kent and the boost to the UK economy from having a thriving life science community with state-of-the-art labs, modern offices and manufacturing facilities.

“Home to over 160 companies, Discovery Park is a well established hub with a growing tenant community of dynamic start-ups through to global corporations. We are extremely proud of our tenants and having three King’s Award winners based here is testament to the incredible work that takes place daily.”

The King’s Awards for Enterprise programme, now in its 58th year, is the most highly regarded business award in the country, with successful organisations able to use the esteemed King’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Businesses are visited throughout the year by His Majesty’s lord-lieutenants to receive their awards, along with an official certificate and commemorative crystal trophy. King’s Award recipients are also able to fly a King’s Awards flag at their main office and use the emblem on marketing materials.

Logical Biological are excited to share a milestone in their journey at Discovery Park. Their relentless dedication to customer centricity and unwavering commitment to quality has led to them securing 148th spot in the prestigious “FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies” listing.

The “FT 1000” list, created in collaboration with Statista, shines a spotlight on the European companies that have shown extraordinary growth. The ranking is determined by analysing the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in revenue from 2019 to 2022. In a list that is dominated by IT, Software, Construction and Energy/ Utility companies, Logical Biological is proud to be leading the way for science.

Read the full release here.

Written by Joel Petch, Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead at the Kent and Medway Medical School, and Dr Andrew Westwood, Consultant Neurologist at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. 

 

Humans, like all animals, sleep and we spend a third of our lives doing it; yet only recently have we started to take its importance seriously. It is as fundamental as eating, drinking, and breathing. It helps both our physical and mental health. We continue to learn more and more about the purpose of sleep, and still do not fully understand it, but here are some things we do know about it.

In the last few decades, we have come to realise its importance in consolidating learning and memory formation. The nerves in our brain fire slower and synchronously during sleep, without having to worry about what’s going on in the world around us. It gives our brain the chance to process everything that has occurred during wakefulness and restore our bodies in preparation for the day ahead.

Sleep also has a role of cleaning out the waste products and toxins that accumulate in our brains, and only in the last decade have we discovered that we have a special system called the glymphatic system. This system expands during sleep and appears to help filter the brain of waste products. It’s thought that disruption to this process may be involved within several brain disorders.

Skipping a few hours of sleep for more social media time has its consequences. Lack of sleep disrupts our metabolism and you might notice you are more peckish after a bad night of sleep. This has a knock-on effect of piling on the pounds. It’s commonplace for fitness advice now to highlight how important sleep is – it’s not what you actively do on a treadmill or lifting weights, but we can help reach our goals by allocating enough time for sleep.

We’ve all experienced a bad night of sleep and sometimes people around us can tell – we may become more irritable, moody, and find it more difficult to concentrate on what we are doing. It’s clear that sleep is of critical importance, and worth remembering that a happy brain is a well-rested brain. So, we’ve established the importance of adequate quantity of good quality sleep, lets explore what can be done to enhance your sleep.

While there is no singular approach to ensure you have a restful sleep, there are several adaptations which offer an accumulative effect. These adaptations- referred to as sleep hygiene- are a range of actions which promote sleep and offset wakefulness. Lifestyle adaptations are preferable to medications, particularly in the medium and longer terms.

 

Some considerations to avoid to adversely impact upon sleep:

Avoidance of napping during the day- it may be tempting to have that afternoon snooze, but this will enhance wakefulness at night and eat into your daily sleep quota [which, ideally, we would like to achieve at night].

While many of us feel the need to rely upon coffee to get us from day to day, if you have trouble sleeping, it would be wise to reduce the caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Caffeine, one of the worlds most popular drugs, blocks adenosine within the brain, preventing drowsiness and triggering a temporary sense of alertness. It’s noteworthy that other evening treats also contain caffeine including energy drinks, tea (black and green) and chocolate.

Immediately prior to bed, you would do well to avoid the use of your mobile phones. Social media activities may well lead to a heightened sense of arousal, and the blue light emitted from the screen also impacts upon your ability to sleep. This light, due to its short light wave, can delay the secretion of the sleep hormone, melatonin. This comes from the pineal gland via activation of the superchiasmatic nucleus, our own internal body clock located within the

hypothalamus. So, in the interest of a good sleep, waking feeling refreshed, and best able to engage with your day, please do avoid the pinging of social media prior to bed.

Aristotle postulated that ‘a person awakes from sleep when digestion is complete’, while this is contested, in a nod to Aristotelianism, please do avoid heavy meals before sleeping. Acid reflux and indigestion is a common cause of disrupted sleep. Alcohol is another substance to avoid, this may feel helpful with regards to onset of asleep, but any subsequent sleep is likely to be fragmented. In addition, there this is evidence that alcohol induced sleep also adversely impacts dreaming, a period of sleep critical in memory consolidation and glymphatic clearance.

 

Here are some things you can actively do:

It’s important to develop and maintain a regular sleep routine, this includes timings and patterns of activities. Try to sleep and rise at the same time each day. It’s most important to keep that same wake-up time as this is usually easier for us to do than to guarantee we can sleep at the same time. Ensure you don’t go to bed earlier after a bad night of sleep, keep the same routine regardless. A warm and relaxing bath may also be the perfect approach to prepare to sleep for some, usually 60-90minutes before intending to sleep. Further positive actions include having a sleep-promoting environment- a space which is comfort, quiet, and at a temperature that is lower than during the day. Implementing these actions will have an accumulative effect and heighten the likelihood of a restful night. However, if you are finding it difficult to sleep, be reassured that this is a common, albeit frustrating, circumstance. Further practical advice can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/