Largest number of companies to date will benefit under the SBRI Healthcare programme to develop innovative solutions towards better health outcomes.
SBRI Healthcare, an NHS England funded initiative to develop innovative products and services that address unmet health needs, today announced a record 44 companies will share £12.7million development funding in the latest rounds of the scheme. The award is across three competitions each representing a distinct product/service development phase – feasibility, prototype development and validation in NHS settings.
With successful projects selected on their potential value to the health service, patient benefit and the opportunity to back thriving businesses, SBRI Healthcare looked for companies specifically focused on driving towards “Better Patient Experience” and “Improving Patient Outcomes” across eight categories; Cancer, Cardiovascular, COPD, Diabetes, End of life, Mental Health, Patient Safety and Research Tools. This latest round of competitions also included the first example in the country of phase 3 SBRI funding, with eight companies awarded up to £1m each to evaluate and validate their SBRI Healthcare backed products in NHS settings.
Karen Livingstone, Director of SBRI Healthcare, commented: “SBRI Healthcare has seen steady growth since it was developed back in 2007. This last year has seen a rapid expansion, both in terms of the number of companies involved and the level of funding. This funding growth is testament to the programme’s success and reaffirms NHS England’s commitment to healthcare innovation and evidencing the contribution of the NHS to the wider economy. Through SBRI Healthcare we are seeing exciting new technologies and products that will bring a sea change in patient care. The programme is also building successful business in the life science sector – vital for UK growth.
John Eaglesham, Chief Executive of Advanced Digital Institute (ADI) (www.adi-uk.com ), said “This award is fantastic news for ADI, for our NHS partners, and for the people living with chronic pain. We are really excited at the opportunity the award gives to demonstrate the benefits of a new, digitally supported, approach to chronic pain across the pathway.” ADI has been awarded Phase 2 funding to develop a suite of self-help digital products to support people with chronic pain, enabling both patient and practitioner to have a balanced step-wise process to self-assess, self-manage, and self-monitor changes in pain via for example, a mobile phone app. The company will be working closely with clinical experts in Leeds to test their solutions.
Chief Executive of PolyPhotonix (www.polyphotonix.com), Richard Kirk said “The SBRI Healthcare funding means that PolyPhotonix can undertake a crucial development programme to accelerate adoption of a treatment that could save the NHS £1bn and will result in the care pathway development being shortened by a number of years. Without this support we simply would not have been able to undertake the work required”. Using Phase 3 funding to evaluate the care pathway for NHS adoption, PolyPhotonix is developing a Sleep Mask for the prevention and treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy, which is a home-based, primary care, non-invasive, monitored therapy, and will be delivered at a fraction of the current treatment cost.
An overview of companies funded in the latest round of competitions can be viewed by clicking here