Business Cloud: MedTech giant raises funding to target severe medical threat

Cambridge-based Owlstone Medical has received £1.7m from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to develop a breath test for pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) detection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

PA is a germ that can cause infections in the blood, lungs, or other parts of the body after surgery.

The MedTech, which is a global leader in breath biopsy for applications in early disease detection and precision medicine, will look to develop a breath-based test suitable for both early detection of new PA infection and monitoring of chronic infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disorder affecting over 105,000 individuals worldwide and is characterised by excessive mucus production that traps pathogens in the lungs.

It causes severe lung infections and can lead to respiratory failure.

PA represents a significant threat to those with cystic fibrosis, with an estimated 25% of patients affected by it.

It is also difficult to eliminate, making early detection and aggressive treatment of infection critical.

Billy Boyle, co-founder and CEO at Owlstone Medical, said: “Owlstone’s experience in the breath-based detection of infectious disease through projects with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Gates Foundation, and other partners, underpinned by our proprietary Breath Biopsy platform, places Owlstone in an excellent position to help improve outcomes for CF patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.” 

“Data from the study will also be entered into Owlstone’s Breath VOC Atlas, where it will continue to be used in clinical studies and analyses to support further biomarker and test development across a wide range of disease areas.”

The news comes just two months after the firm raised £22m in Series E funding.

https://businesscloud.co.uk/news/medtech-giant-raises-funding-to-target-severe-medical-threat/