SBRI Healthcare awards funding of £12.7 million to a record 44 companies

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.

Funding for SBRI Healthcare has been secured from NHS England. The programme is directed by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN) on behalf of NHS England. Health Enterprise East is the management partner and supports the EAHSN to handle the applications, assessments and delivery against contracts.

To find out more visit www.sbrihealthcare.co.uk

 

About SBRI Healthcare

The Small Business Research Initiative for Healthcare (SBRI Healthcare) is an NHS England initiative, championed by the newly formed Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs), whose role is to promote UK economic growth by spreading innovation and best practice across the NHS. The SBRI Healthcare competitions are launched on a biannual basis and result in fully funded development contracts between the awarded company and NHS England to meet known healthcare need.

Generally taking a three-phased development approach, projects start with a 6 month feasibility phase and can then move on to more detailed product development. Phase 1 contracts for feasibility testing are valued at up to £100,000 and last for six months. Phase 2 contracts for prototype development are worth up to £1 million over one year. Phase 3 contracts are intended to accelerate product adoption, with up to a further £1 million over 12 months, providing the opportunity for validation in NHS settings. While the public sector has the right to license the resultant technology, its intellectual property (IP) remains with the company, thereby enabling successful businesses to grow.

Funding for SBRI Healthcare has been secured from NHS England. The programme is directed by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network (EAHSN) on behalf of NHS England and the other regional AHSNs. Health Enterprise East is the management partner and supports the EAHSN to handle the applications, assessments and delivery against contracts.

Previous SBRI Healthcare competitions have called for technological and innovative solutions to, for example, change people’s behaviour in order to reduce the impact of obesity and alcohol related diseases, how to live well with dementia and improved medicine management.

www.sbrihealthcare.co.uk

About Academic Health Science Networks

Academic Health Science Networks, of which there are 15 regionally based, have been recently designated to provide a systematic delivery mechanism for the local NHS, universities, public health and social care to work with industry to transform the identification, adoption and spread of proven innovations and best practice. SBRI Healthcare competition theme areas are chosen in partnership with the Academic Health Science Networks across England. The programme management is led by the Eastern Academic Health Science Network on behalf of NHS England.

www.eahsn.org.uk

About Health Enterprise East and Competition details

Health Enterprise East Limited (HEE) is the NHS Innovation Hub for the East of England, and assists with accelerating the development and uptake of innovative MedTech products and services that improve the quality of healthcare delivery.

Having pioneered and successfully run the initiative for the East of England since its launch in 2009, HEE now oversees the national SBRI Healthcare programme bringing together businesses, the healthcare industry and the NHS. Information on future competitions can be found on the SBRI Healthcare and the Health Enterprise East websites.

www.hee.co.uk

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Contacts:

SBRI Healthcare
Nick Offer

Health Enterprise East
Email: nicholas.offer@hee.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 1223 597813


Media contact
Sarah Jeffery
Zyme Communications
E-mail: sarah.jeffery@zymecommunications.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7771 730919
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