Glyconics is an innovative diagnostics company which is using a novel approach to the diagnosis and monitoring of respiratory disease.
COPD is a growing health problem that is very difficult to accurately diagnose, with only 50 percent of sufferers properly identified, and predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide in the next seven years.
Glyconics uses infrared spectroscopy to analyze sputum samples for proprietary biomarkers characteristic of respiratory disease. The technology is non-invasive, rapid and cost-effective allowing automatic interpretation of disease patterns within minutes.
A growing health problem that is very difficult to accurately diagnose, with around only 50 percent of sufferers properly identified.
Within the next seven years, COPD is predicted to be the third leading cause of death worldwide and the fifth commonest cause of disability.
In the UK, COPD is estimated to affect some 6 million people causing 24 million working days to be lost, at a cost of nearly £4bn per year from reduced productivity and is responsible for more than 25,000 deaths annually.
The major healthcare problem associated with COPD is the frequent incidence of disease exacerbation which often leads to hospitalisation and increase healthcare cost.
Poor recognition and treatment of respiratory failure increases the risk of mortality; there is thus a currently un-met need to improve diagnostic rates, reduce the burden of exacerbations and prevent the need for hospital admissions.
There is currently no effective, sensitive and accurate technology which can definitively diagnose COPD. This means there is a major opportunity for any technology that can be simply introduced as a means to identify disease severity, disease progression and an early indication of exacerbation particularly if the diagnosis can be made non-invasively and at the point-of-care.
Current interventions for COPD such as smoking cessation, rehabilitation, nutrition support, drug treatments, and psychosocial aids, are mainly carried out in hospitals on a case by case basis among patients who have already developed moderately or severely symptomatic COPD.
Little attention has been paid to community based integrated interventions which can identify exacerbations earlier and so activate prophylactic therapeutic interventions and avoid hospitalisation.
Glyconics technology provides solutions to the definitive diagnosis of COPD and the early identification of exacerbation.
Furthermore the technology also provides a valuable tool for the design and implementation of novel COPD therapeutic interventions.
Current approaches to COPD diagnosis use spirometry (lung function tests) as a preliminary disease assessment. Although a useful non-invasive triage tool, the technology is relatively insensitive and inaccurate. In particular it is unable to differentiate between such respiratory diseases as COPD or asthma and to accurately assess disease severity.
Glyconics' technology uses Infrared Spectroscopy to analyse the composition of sputum in patients w ith suspected respiratory disease. The company's scientists identified proprietary biomarkers in sputum that can differentiate COPD patients from other diseases, and can also provide an early indication of exacerbation .
Sputum samples are collected and can be either analysed at the point of care using a handheld device or transported to a central laboratory. The IR signature is automatically interpreted using proprietary software and a result produced within minutes .
Initially developed using a small bench-top device for central laboratory testing Glyconics is now also validating a low cost handheld device, which can be used in clinical settings for easy detection and monitoring by healthcare workers at the point-of-care. The availability of this portable low-cost device now offers the opportunity to transform clinical accessibility.
To date, Glyconics has analysed over 500 sputum samples and controls to validate the COPD signature, and is currently completing validation of the exacerbation marker.
Glyconics can provide a solution to the problems in diagnosing COPD and through regular monitoring of patients at the point-of-care can alleviate some of the hospitalisation events that arise following exacerbation. In addition, significant progress has also been made towards identification of specific signatures for other respiratory diseases, including early markers for lung cancer.
Glyconics technology is set to transform the management of COPD globally. As a small UK company we are looking to maximise the integration of the technology into global clinical management pathways.
In addition the ability of the technology to accurately stratify COPD patients means that it is an extremely useful tool for COPD therapeutic developments and for use in clinical trial settings. We are therefore seeking potential licencees/partners in any of the following areas:
Paul's research group is focused on the detection of mucus molecular structural change in respiratory disease by optical spectroscopy and has expertise in algorithm and software development. Recent work, in particular, has involved the determination of a diagnostic infrared spectral signature for lung cancer and the development of infrared spectral libraries for characterization of respiratory glycoproteins. Dr Lewis is responsible for aspects of the scientific development of the business and will be directly involved in the management of sample logistics and direct development and evaluation of the technology.
Jeremy is non-executive Chairman of Assembly Studios, in London and Abu Dhabi, Associate Director at SI Partners Global, a London-based firm offering management consultancy and corporate finance advice across Europe, Asia and North America. Jeremy is also founder of Stratus Communications Ltd, helping businesses to improve their performance and manage rapid growth. Prior to this, Jeremy was CEO and owner of ScopeMedical Ltd, a medical communications provider with clients from the global pharmaceutical industry, creating and implementing global healthcare communication programs. ScopeMedical Ltd was acquired by Huntsworth Plc in an £11m acquisition in 2010.
Nanette is a biotechnology and diagnostics consultant specialising in tools and device commercialisation and market analysis and assessments. She is a molecular biologist by training and has spent over 15 years in the commercial scientific sector in life Sciences and diagnostics. Nanette has held management positions in both large global companies such as Invitrogen and BBInternational and in Q Chip. She has substantial Product Management experience across a range of products and business units including molecular biology reagents, both in the applied testing and clinical diagnostic markets and also pharmaceutical industry. Nanette is very experienced with all aspects of Marketing to these sectors and has an excellent knowledge of the diagnostics and molecular biology markets in particular. She also has considerable B2B experience, acquired both in a start-up company and in larger companies.
Sam is finance director of Glyconics Ltd. She has over 15 years experience in finance and management supporting several young healthcare companies. She has corporate finance deal and fund-raising experience from her time at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. A graduate in Applied Microbiology with an MSc in International Securities, Investment & Banking and CIMA certified in Business Accounting.
