Scottish Health Innovations Ltd

Glasgow research team achieve success at RCUK Business Plan Competition
A team of experts from Glasgow have recently won a top prize after reaching the final of the Research Council UK Business Plan Competition for their work to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents for acute ischaemic stroke. The money will be used to strengthen the investment position of Aurum Biosciences, the company set up to take the product to market.

The team from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and The University of Glasgow have worked with Scottish Heath Innovations Ltd to create Aurum Biosciences Ltd, a new biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents, initially for Acute Ischaemic Stroke (AIS). Patients with AIS (defined as patients who start receiving medical care anything up to forty eight hours following stroke) will often have brain tissue that can be saved with timely intervention. However, there is currently no clinically acceptable method for detecting such tissue. Aurum will provide the means to detect this tissue, improving patient outcome and the resulting costs of a stroke on both the NHS and society as a whole. It also has the advantage of providing a therapeutic effect in stroke, thus the initial Aurum product is a true theranostic.

Current diagnostic approaches do not provide wholly reliable, or complete, data on damage to brain tissue and there is currently only one approved product for the treatment of AIS; Actilyse (tPA). Actilyse, a thrombolytic agent, must be used within three hours of stroke onset but, for many patients, time of onset is unknown. Consequently, it is used in only five per cent of patients and there are safety implications using thrombolysis. With Aurum, when the patient arrives at the hospital, a diagnostic scan will quickly and accurately identify the extent of brain damage. The physician can then decide on treatment with further product and/or thrombolysis for each patient, many of whom would not be candidates for lifesaving therapy without this information.

The project team put forward a successful bid to reach the finals of the RCUK Business Plan competition and the group were among five finalists, from a total of over eighty entrants, who presented to the judging panel in November.  They successfully secured £10,000 worth of funding. The company is currently seeking funding to take the stroke management product to the end of preclinical development and into phase I and phase II clinical studies of efficacy and safety. The funding received from the RCUK will help secure the investment position.

Aurum is unique in having both diagnostic and therapeutic applications in stroke. The competitive AIS landscape shows few promising products in the pipeline. Aurum is based on a technology from one of Europe’s leading stroke centres (Southern General Hospital, Glasgow). It is expected to be extremely safe, exerting its effects through a natural agent (oxygen), and therefore the time window for diagnosis and treatment will be much greater. The potential usage of Aurum could eventually extend to all AIS patients, representing an extensive market for the product.

Aurum products will initially be aimed at the AIS market; however the company will develop a product pipeline with future products being developed for use in cardiac, cancer and  neurodegenerative diseases. The management team is composed of individuals with proven industry track records and a group of highly experienced and highly motivated scientists.

For further information please contact:

Helen Corner
Head of Central Marketing
Scottish Health Innovations Ltd
0141 248 7334
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Notes to Editors
Scottish Health Innovations Ltd (SHIL) works in partnership with NHS Scotland to protect and develop new innovations that come from healthcare professionals. By developing these ideas, SHIL creates new products and technologies that will improve patient care and generate financial income for NHS Scotland.

SHIL services include project management, market research, sourcing of funding and development partners, intellectual property protection, spinout set up and advice. The company also offers regulatory consultancy to industry specialising in regulatory compliance for product development and quality management systems.

SHIL has successfully helped to take many projects to market and has represented NHS Scotland in the formation of several spinout companies.


For further information please visit: www.shil.co.uk

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