The future of the UK’s
life science industry
post COVID-19
Reimagining
life science
DISCOVERING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
Issue 19 2020
Future Watch
Clinical Need
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DISCOVERING HEALTH TECHNOLOGY
Reimagining
life science
The future of
the UK’s
life science
industry post
COVID-19
4-5
42
24
13
T cell immunity
test developed
for COVID-19
Producing
next-generation
material
for PPE
Future Watch
Clinical Need
Going Global
Regulatory
47 Online Events Calendar
A message from the editor
”
Sophie Davies Editor
Lifescience Industry is now online – visit www.lifescienceindustrynews.com for the latest news
9 T cell immunity test
developed for COVID-19
10 TranQuality wins Innovate
UK grant to develop AI for
mental health treatment
11 Breath test for COVID-19
undergoes clinical trial
12 Consortium to develop
new system for peritonitis
detection
13 Producing next-
generation material
for PPE
14 Recruitment begins
for innovative patient
monitoring study
34 Nottingham company lands investment to
expand its share of neonatal health tech market
35 Providing technology to fight COVID-19 in
Wuhan
36 Delivering molecules for COVID-19 research in
New York
18 New approach to diagnosis
and management of epilepsy
19 Collaboration delivers
COVID-19 test kit in record
time
20 Bringing to life NHS
breakthrough innovations for
anaesthesia, airway and
critical care
21 Enhancing a COVID-19 test
with digital capabilities
22 Transforming data into
actionable insights to tackle
COVID-19
23 Restart for Cardiopulmonary
Rehabilitation services
24 Hospital Direct signs exclusive
distributor agreement for
infection control solution
38 The UKCA Mark: Prepare for 1st January 2021
39 The importance of a patient data ‘trust model‘
during 2020 and beyond
40 Clinical evidence: Seven tips to satisfy the needs
of clinicians, payers and regulators
42 An observation of COVID-19 through a
regulatory lens
Published by Teamworks. www.teamworksdesign.com
Editor: Sophie Davies, editor@lifescienceindustrynews.com
Executive Editor: Gwyn Tudor, gwyn@lifescienceindustrynews.com
Advertising Sales: sam@lifescienceindustrynews.com
Art direction: Lee Gillum.
www.lifescienceindustrynews.com
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opinions of individual partners unless explicitly stated. © Teamworks. 2020
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Issue 5
Welcome to Lifescience Industry
magazine
This edition focuses on how companies
across the UK have responded to
COVID-19, from development and
adoption of new technologies to a look
ahead at the sector’s future.
Reflecting the current landscape, this
edition of Lifescience Industry puts a
spotlight on companies which have been
peritonitis detection and
epilepsy management.
Meanwhile, regulatory
experts offer guidance on
topics such as the
UKCA mark, patient
data collection and
clinical evidence.
working on diagnostic tests, advanced
PPE, digital tools and infection control
solutions to tackle COVID-19. It also
features companies which have
adapted their businesses, formed new
partnerships and supported the global
mission to fight the pandemic.
Aside from COVID-19 stories, this
edition includes new innovations
for mental health treatment,
Hospital Direct signs
exclusive distributor
agreement for infection
control solution
An observation
of COVID-19
through a
regulatory
lens
People & Places
26 How the Midlands has
responded to COVID-19
27 Discovery and development of
new therapeutics during the
pandemic
28 Launch of personal handheld
device to help limit the spread
of COVID-19
29 Working at the forefront of
COVID-19 research
30 Celebrating the best of UK life
sciences at the Medilink UK
Healthcare business awards
32 Medilink West Midlands helps
forge new partnerships in
response to COVID crisis
33 Construction starts on the
Medicines Manufacturing
Innovation Centre
Issue 19
The future of the UK’s life science
industry post COVID-19
Health technology companies were needed
to respond to the COVID-19 challenge.
Manufacturers of products as diverse as masks
and gowns, hand sanitiser, in-vitro and point
of care diagnostics, ventilators and respiratory
products, and digital tracking and monitoring
faced unprecedented demand. The urgent need
for supplies encouraged numerous companies
new to the sector to pivot their production
facilities in an attempt to support the NHS.
They also had to meet this challenge while
keeping their own workforce safe.
Not all health technology companies
experienced unprecedented demand. Many
PPE, digital, diagnostics and respiratory
products were selling stock as fast as they could
manufacture, but other companies (those
involved in scheduled procedures that were
being cancelled and postponed across the
country) had to meet a very diferent challenge,
to ensure their businesses would be in good
health when the NHS restores normal services.
In September, Lifescience Industry held its
first Spotlight event – showcasing how the
life science and health technology sector has
worked, collaborated and persevered to meet
the challenges presented by COVID-19. The
national and regional trade associates and
networks who make up the partners behind
Lifescience Industry led the event. During the
early days of the pandemic, these organisations
provided vital contact with UK manufacturers
through daily liaison with the NHS, UK and
devolved governments, in some cases through
full-time secondment of key staf. Between
them, they coordinated thousands of ofers of
critical PPE, testing and medical technology
supplies, and brought together businesses
from across the UK to collaborate on the
development of new essential products, new
supply chains and support for companies who
were new to the health technology sector.
They provided business support, guidance
and grant support, and also delivered events
and publications to showcase the remarkable
eforts made by UK manufacturers during the
pandemic.
The Spotlight event focused on some of the
numerous examples of companies which have
delivered critical solutions at the pace required.
Sensyne Health presented their successful
As 2020 comes to an end, most of us will be glad to see the back of a totally unprecedented year. At
the start of 2020, global markets were growing and the investment market in life sciences was in good
health. Investors were backing advanced therapeutics (ATMP), precision medicine and diagnostics, digital
healthcare and AI. But even at that time, there were warning signs that COVID-19 was approaching.
Kevin Kiely,
CEO of Medilink UK
The resilience of the UK’s life sciences
manufacturing and supply chain has been
challenged during COVID-19. Governments
across the world paused the export of essential
products, leaving the UK temporarily without
key equipment and parts, as scarce resources
were directed to the highest bidder.
As many countries were chasing the same
suppliers, the UK needed to exploit its existing
manufacturing capabilities to increase its
level of self-sufficiency in the production of
strategically important products e.g. PPE,
ventilators, diagnostic test kits and vaccines. In
certain instances, this required manufacturing
companies in other sectors to repurpose their
production almost overnight.
Put simply, the UK was too reliant on a
globalised supply chain, which hampered our
response. To learn from this experience, we
need to better understand our manufacturing
and supply chain capabilities, identify potential
risks and vulnerabilities, and use these insights
to inform decision making and optimise future
investment in UK manufacturing.
Nick Rodgers,
Chair of SEHTA
The extraordinary period since March 2020
has shown that we can reset the way we use
technology in health and social care settings.
We have seen what’s possible with the clever
use of new technology, deployed at speed and
sometimes at scale. I hope that this reset is a
permanent change for the better and that,
moving forward, the NHS and Social Care will
continue to be more open to adopting our
members’ new technologies.
I am concerned that Government and the
NHS may treat the last 8 months of rapid
technology adoption to be an aberration,
and will wish to go back to old and tried ways.
But on balance, I think that there are enough
good news stories and examples of technology
delivering healthcare and cost improvements
to show the benefits of technology adoption.
So I am optimistic that the new improved
practices will continue. As a sector, Medtech
must welcome the changes with open arms
and we must work with our NHS partners to
continue the good work.
Andrew Davies,
Digital Health Lead at ABHI
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use
of remote monitoring technologies and online
tools to help support patients, whilst freeing up
healthcare capacity.
The use of technology in monitoring patients
with long-term conditions has also improved. We
have seen the creation and adoption of platforms
that support remote video consultations, with
multi-disciplinary teams if required, and virtual
tools, all linked through to the patient’s record
and data. Increasingly sophisticated, these
platforms can integrate vital sign monitoring
devices and highlight any decline in a patient’s
status, enabling clinicians to intervene early and
remotely, before a need for admission.
This use of virtual platforms is certainly one that
will endure beyond COVID-19. By providing access
to care outside of the hospital, and empowering
patients to better self-care through access to
their own results, the move will lead to fewer
unnecessary A&E visits, an improved patient
experience and a reduction in the overall cost to
the health system.
Expert opinion:
For daily lifescience news visit www.lifescienceindustrynews.com 5
work in app development, allowing patients to
self-monitor vital signs; Abingdon Health spoke
about their antibody test development and
collaboration with other businesses as part of
the UK Rapid Test Consortium; Hospital Direct
showcased new patient handling solutions,
as well as the design and development
support they were able to provide for new
manufacturers; Inspiration Healthcare Group
demonstrated the essential work they have
been doing to meet ventilator demand during
the pandemic; Somnus Scientific presented
their work in novel, real-time blood propofol
monitoring during anaesthesia; Indoor
Biotechnologies showcased their Innovate
UK funded work developing a novel cellular
immunity test for COVID-19; Aptus Clinical
demonstrated new patient wearables and AI
applications for COVID-19 patient management;
and XenoGesis presented their personal
COVID-19 journey and their eforts to provide
business continuity in exceptional times. These
examples, along with an NHS presentation from
Barts Health NHS Trust, highlighted the diversity
of projects and contributions that industry has
made and continues to make to meet
the challenge.
Looking ahead to the post COVID-19 landscape,
our partner networks and their members,
who make up the UK’s medical technology,
diagnostics, pharmaceutical and digital health
sectors, have stressed the need to retain and
build on the accelerated development and
adoption of products and digital solutions seen
during the crisis. They see a need to reshore
the lost manufacturing capability of critical
supplies back to the UK, in order to ensure the
continuity of supplies, as well as a need to build
in resilience throughout the supply chain of
critical supplies and specialist expertise. They are
unanimous in believing that the contribution
UK manufacturers can make to the continued
health of our NHS supply chain needs to be
properly recognised as part of the procurement
process. Our sector is at a crossroads. The
choice: return to pre COVID-19 practices, or
grasp the opportunities that now appear
far more achievable to accelerate product
development, trials and adoption, and
to support and nurture a strong, robust,
indigenous manufacturing base.
Cari-Anne Quinn,
CEO of Life Sciences Hub Wales
The life sciences sector can take pride in its
response to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. The
widespread collaboration, innovative thinking
and agility has highlighted the best of what our
industry can offer.
While the outbreak has delivered unprecedented
challenges, the truth is that our health and social
care system faced pressures long before its arrival,
and these haven’t gone away. Rising patient
numbers, fiscal pressures and the complexities
brought by an ageing population. Life science
companies will continue to play a crucial role
in tackling these issues. Companies who are
working hard to develop new technologies that
will not only address the problems of today,
but also ensure that our health and social care
system is better prepared for our future needs.
The response to COVID-19 has demonstrated
that our homegrown businesses, and the
multinationals that have joined us, can innovate
with agility and pace to provide urgently needed
solutions. As well as helping improve the health
and wellbeing of people all over the world, their
innovations will be key to fuelling our economic
recovery and long term sustainability.
Issue 18
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Future watch
T cell immunity test developed for
COVID-19
Cardif-based Indoor Biotechnologies Ltd has been awarded funding from Innovate UK to develop a new type
of test for COVID-19.
I
dentifying people who have already
been infected with the virus and
become immune could have huge
benefits for enabling society to safely
return to normality. However, since the
symptoms of COVID-19 can vary from
person to person, and some people
display no symptoms at all, reliable
testing methods for prior infection and
subsequent immunity are vital.
One way of determining whether someone
has been infected with the virus is by
looking for specific antibodies in blood
samples. Numerous antibody tests exist,
but doubts remain about their reliability in
determining whether a person has gained
immunity, as well as more recent concerns
about their longevity post infection.
Long-term protection against viruses comes
not only from antibodies, but also from
cells of the immune system including T cells,
which play a critical role in controlling and
eradicating viral infections. The new test
developed by Indoor Biotechnologies Ltd is
a diferent type of immunity test, focusing
on T cells rather than antibodies. The simple
cellular immunity test can identify the
presence of T cells that respond to the virus
which causes COVID-19 from a single tube of
blood, within 24 hours.
The test is designed so that it can be easily
used by labs across the world, enabling
mass testing of COVID-19 T cell immunity
to be performed. It also has the potential
to be more sensitive and more reliable at
determining immunity than antibody testing.
In addition to assessing immunity status,
the test may also be valuable during
vaccine development to help identify
whether an adequate immune response
has been generated to protect people
from COVID-19, and for testing how long
that immune response remains.
www.indoorbiotech.co.uk
10
Issue 19
Future watch
TranQuality wins Innovate
UK grant to develop AI for
mental health treatment
oor mental health is the single
largest cause of disability in
the UK and one in six people
experience a mental health problem
each year. The total economic costs of
mental illness through lost productivity
has been estimated at £105.2 billion
each year and treatment accounts for
more than 10 per cent of the annual
NHS spend.
TranQuality provides mental health
assessment and treatment programmes
for the NHS and private patients with
clinical depression and anxiety as well
as companies. For patients, it uses EEG
to identify specific areas for treatment
using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
(TMS). TMS stimulates neurons in the
brain through an electromagnetic field
that reduces or reverses an individual’s
symptoms.
TMS is often used when conventional drug
and talking therapies are not working
efectively or have stopped working
completely. The treatment is approved by
the National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence (NICE) and is non-invasive, pain-
free and has no known side efects.
The standard TMS approach requires
around 20 to 30 sessions, and costs
between £4,000-£8,000 per patient, which
is limiting its adoption as a mainstream
treatment. TranQuality has reduced
the cost and number of sessions by
targeting the TMS using a patient’s EEG.
An AI support tool could further reduce
treatment length and cost.
TranQuality is a key partner of the
Beingwell Group, a family of wellness
companies providing solutions across
mental health, cognitive fitness and sleep.
It opened its newest clinic in the North of
England in January 2020. The company
has wider clinics in Humberside and has an
online platform that enables individuals to
check and monitor their mental health at
regular intervals to maintain good mental
wellbeing and to better understand their
mental health.
TranQuality has been awarded an Innovate UK grant to develop AI capable of
identifying depression and anxiety in brain activity. Currently, the company
uses cognitive neuroscientists to analyse brain activity captured by an Electro
Encephalogram (EEG), but they believe that AI could take on a significant
amount of that work in the future.
“This Innovate UK funding will allow us
to explore and implement AI technology,
which has seen a significant interest in
healthcare. This could be a step towards
a more personalised treatment of mental
health conditions, addressing the mental
wellness of each patient individually,
which is important as everyone deals
with it so differently. Our mission is to
support clinician analysis and treatment
to reduce its cost to below £1,000 per
patient. AI development has started well,
and a successful solution would help
an EEG targeted TMS become more
affordable and accessible across the UK
and globally.”
Bernard McMahon
Chairman
TranQuality Solutions Ltd
www.tranquality.com