WIREDGOV

Two North West start-ups will bring their healthcare products to market more quickly, as winners of a six month R&D and business support package at STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory.

The competition winners each gain six months free access to a self-contained laboratory at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Daresbury Laboratory, at Sci-Tech Daresbury in the Liverpool City Region.  This includes specialist technology and design support, one-to-one business planning advice and investment readiness training, each of which are critical when bringing a new product to market.

Delyth Lloyd, business development manager, at STFC, said: “For small companies, turning an innovative idea into a viable commercial reality that can compete successfully with major industrial players is a real challenge. Companies can benefit massively from access to the unique business support and incubation facilities we have here at Daresbury Laboratory, and we are looking forward to supporting our winners all the way to ensure they get the most of their time here with us.”

The two winners are:

Daresbury Proteins

A spinout from the University of Manchester, ‘Daresbury Proteins’ has developed a new technique for developing human proteins from mammalian cell cultures for the biotherapeutics and drug development industries. Mammalian cell cultures are critical to the development of our next generation of biotech drugs and vaccines, which are more effective and cause fewer side effects.  The company plans to bring to market its expertise, technology and an impressive portfolio of proteins, many of which are not yet commercially available, for use in academic research and drug development. Their current focus is currently on the synthesis of a particular protein which could be the key to a new treatment for some prevalent degenerative diseases.  This will be the first time that this protein has been successfully produced to scale for the commercial market.

Dr Jennet Beesley, director at Daresbury Proteins said: “Setting up a biotechnology business is extremely challenging and the expense of laboratory facilities and equipment can be inhibitive.  Winning this competition alleviates this burden enormously and is a great start for a young business like Daresbury Proteins. This, in combination with the on-site business support, will be extremely valuable as we seek to shorten our pre-revenue phase and refine our business model, putting us in a good position for further investment.

NGPod Global

NGPod Global is developing a revolutionary device for use by clinicians that will change the way that patients requiring nasogastric feeding tubes are treated. Nasogastric feeding tube insertion is a common procedure carried out daily in our hospitals, but incorrect positioning can cause serious consequences for the patient.  In fact, in the UK there were 2,397 incidents relating to incorrect tube placement between 2005 and 2008 resulting in 6 deaths, precision is critical.  NGPod’s small handheld device uses a fibre optic sensor which can detect the presence or absence of stomach acid to confirm when the tube is correctly in place.

Adam Partington, operations manager at NGPod Global, said: “Winning this competition gives us access to a wealth of specialist skills, equipment and advice that will be fundamental to furthering the development of our product, as we seek to grow our business into a global brand. We’re particularly keen to take advantage of the additive manufacturing and CAD design services available here on site. Being located within Sci-Tech Daresbury also brings with it invaluable opportunities to network and collaborate with other companies and institutions with a shared passion for patient safety and innovation in healthcare technologies.”

Further information about support for small businesses across the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Contact details

Wendy Ellison
Science and Technology Facilities Council
01925 603232