Successful seed round supports scaling and market reach


University of Warwick spinout CryoLogyx, focused on cryopreserved cell formats has closed its oversubscribed £500k seed round funded by private UK business angels and the Wider Oxford Technology Angel Network (WOTAN), which included previous investors Oxford Technology Management. The funding will support the scale up production of its assay-ready cells and expansion of its reach in the UK and Europe.


Spun out in 2020 by CEO Dr Tom Congdon and CSO Professor Matt Gibson, who developed a cryopreservation method based on over a decade of research, the company provides assay- ready, frozen cells plated in a variety of formats and optimised for in vitro research. Its proprietary macromolecule cryoprotectant technology, Cryoshield™, signifi cantly reduces post-thaw damage to allow for direct use of viable cells from the freezer in less than 24 hours. As well as saving time on routine cell culture tasks, this format offers enhanced reproducibility that could help to support the development of new screening technologies


and automation in drug discovery. Most recently, the ready-to-use cells enabled scientists at the Warwick Antimicrobial Screening Service to deliver a typical four-week project in four days.


The latest funding follows earlier investment from Oxford Technology Management and private investors, alongside a £300K grant from Innovate UK in 2021.


CEO and Co-founder Dr Congdon, said: “We are grateful to our business angel investors and WOTAN for their confi dence and continued support in the company’s growth. CryoLogyx is proud to be empowering scientists to conduct research more effi ciently using our cryopreserved, assay-ready cells and this funding will help us scale operations to ensure we meet researchers’ needs and expand our reach into new markets.”


Dr Tim Hart, Director, Warwick Innovations, who is working with CryoLogyx to commercialise its technology,


said: “This funding boost is testament to the company’s potential and refl ects


Tom Congdon


the trust investors have in CryoLogyx’s vision and leadership. It’s a truly remarkable technology with the potential to signifi cantly reduce the experimental burden on researchers and expedite the discovery of lifesaving


diagnostics therapies. I very much look forward to seeing


Platform facilitates improved stroke care through AI


Tim Hart (Credit: Warwick Innovations)


the company continue to go from strength to strength.”


and


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Expanded pharmacist role could ease some of NHS burden


Through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Aston University and the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) are looking into the feasibility of extending pharmacists’ duties to include more healthcare interventions, such as blood pressure checks and cholesterol screening to help ease the growing burden on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).


Representing the interests of more than 37,000 members, the PDA is seeking to advocate for pharmacists to deliver more healthcare interventions, alongside their role in seasonal fl u and COVID vaccination programmes.


Analysing images from CT scans (Credit: Brainomix)


Digital heath company Brainomix has developed AI algorithms to help doctors make quick, accurate decisions for patients suffering from a stroke, helping more receive better care and outcomes. This year it has been estimated that around 100,000 people in the UK will have a stroke and every second counts for crucial decisions about diagnosis and treatments to be made.


A spin-out in 2010 from the University of Oxford’s preclinical stroke lab, part of the Nuffi eld Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Brainomix’s e-Stroke platform analyses images from simple CT scans, providing detailed real-time information – available to view remotely – on the extent and nature of damage to the brain.


Co-founder and CEO Dr Michalis Papadakis said: “In 2023 we were delighted to receive FDA approval to take our e-ASPECTS tool to the US, where more than 800,000 people suffer a stroke each year. This tool, part of the Brainomix 360 package of AI technologies, supports physicians who are making time-sensitive, critical decisions around transfer and treatment, strengthening networks and facilitating an improved stroke service.”


Studies have shown that implementing e-Stroke reduces arrival-to- discharge times by more than one hour, as well as tripling the number of stroke patients going on to achieve functional independence, the company reported.


It has been adopted by more than 30 healthcare systems worldwide and has raised over £30 million in public and private funding. A patient is scanned using e-Stroke every fi ve minutes, with results available in just 60 seconds.


Brainomix has now developed similar AI-powered imaging platforms for lung disease and cancer. The company is regularly showcased by government as a leader in the health data revolution and as an example of the potential for academic spinouts to translate innovative research into real-world impact that can benefi t patients and healthcare providers.


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To provide NHS policymakers with robust evidence of the feasibility, acceptability and impacts this would have, the organisation is working with Aston University’s Professor Chris Langley from the School of Pharmacy and Dr Gemma Mansell from the School of Psychology who are carrying out the research and evaluation to produce this evidence.


Together with KTP Associate Dr Jason Tang, the KTP team developed a shortlist of health interventions that pharmacists could deliver to patients who have come for vaccinations. The interventions were trialled at a community pharmacy in Dudley in 2023, then evaluated for their health impact and cost- effectiveness. The interventions may then be adapted based on this evaluation and will be trialled again in 2024 to gain more data.


(Credit Aston University)


Questionnaires will be used to assess patients’ and pharmacists’ reactions to the changes.


Alison Jones, director of policy, PDA, said: “There are already some moves to enable pharmacists working in the community to deliver more aspects of clinical care. For example, with appropriate training, pharmacists can also take on some aspects of the prescribing of medicines. This project will be an important part of that evolution, supporting individual pharmacists to have more opportunities to practice and so develop more fulfi lling careers.”


Professor Langley said: “Since COVID, the way we deliver healthcare has changed. We have a backlog in diagnosing underlying disease and at the same time fewer face-to-face consultations. If we can make use of the time that pharmacists have with patients during their vaccinations to deliver other services, then that could help to ensure patients are diagnosed and can receive treatment much more quickly.”


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Cloud-based simulation enhances clinical trial study


Biosimulation software and biostatistics services provider


Exploristics (Belfast) and biotech Exonate Ltd, a developer of non-invasive, small-molecule therapeutics for patients with retinal vascular diseases, have completed optimising the study design for an upcoming Phase IIb study for diabetic eye disease. The collaboration has supported ongoing development of Exonate’s lead candidate, EXN407, following a Phase Ib/IIa study in November.


Exploristics simulation software platform KerusCloud, established a more effi cient, data-driven approach to study design and protocol within Exonate’s clinical development programs, delivering valuable quantitative insights into an upcoming Phase IIb study, planned to initiate in 2024, following the successful completion of the Phase Ib/IIa trial for EXN407. The study concluded that EXN407 met all pharmacokinetic and safety parameters, as well as showing encouraging signs of biological activity.


Aiden Flynn, CEO, Exploristics, said: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work with Exonate to harness KerusCloud’s


powerful and realistic simulations to ensure that the company’s clinical trial was primed for success. Exonate recognised the need to implement a data-driven approach to optimise effi ciency and minimise the risks of their proof-of-concept studies by using rational design to manage key uncertainties and challenges. We look forward to a continuation of the relationship as Exonate progresses to Phase IIb clinical trials in 2024.”


Loic Lhuillier, COO, Exonate, commented: “We were pleased to partner with the Exploristics team on our trial design and statistical analysis, which has greatly contributed to the effi ciency of the programme. KerusCloud allowed us to develop our study design to recognise the transformative potential of EXN407 whilst ensuring we account for and minimise any potential risks. We thank Aiden and the team for their collaborative model and expertise throughout this project.”


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