INSIGHTS / News

Scale Up Programme alumnus, Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd, in partnership with the University of Southampton, has secured a £1.5m grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) to advance its pioneering cancer detection technology.

The grant will fund the clinical validation of Proteotype’s Enlighten® Multi-Cancer Early Detection test, a novel approach designed to detect cancer in its earliest stages by measuring the body’s immune response to tumour development.

Unlike traditional cancer diagnostics that focus on tumour-released markers like circulating tumour DNA, often only detectable in advanced stages. Enlighten® takes a more forward-thinking approach. The test tracks changes in protein levels that signal the body’s immune response to tumour development, potentially identifying cancer even in its earliest phases.

This £1.5m grant comes as part of the UK Government’s £22.5m investment into the OLS Cancer Programme, aimed at advancing innovative cancer detection technologies. Over the next 24 months, Enlighten® will undergo rigorous clinical validation to secure regulatory approval and, eventually, integrate into NHS cancer screening services nationwide.

Early results have so far been promising. At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 2024, Proteotype revealed an impressive 86% detection rate across multiple cancers, with a 0% false-positive rate, and particularly strong performance in detecting early-stage cancers. Now, this funding will support larger-scale clinical trials, allowing researchers to refine and confirm its efficacy.

Dr. Emma Yates, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Proteotype Diagnostics, said, “When cancer is discovered earlier, patients have more treatment options and better outcomes. Enlighten® is designed to disrupt, detecting cancer as early as the immune system, whilst remaining simple enough yet robust enough to fit existing care pathways and NHS needs.”

A key goal of the Enlighten® test is to reduce health disparities by making cutting-edge diagnostics more accessible. The MODERNISED clinical study, led by Professor Andrew Davies of the University of Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, will trial the test in NHS settings with a particular focus on reaching underserved, higher-risk populations.

The study will enrol 1,350 participants across Southern England, targeting cancers with high mortality rates in socioeconomically deprived areas, including colorectal, lung, and pancreatic cancers.

Professor Andrew Davies, Chief Investigator for the MODERNISED study, expressed optimism about the potential impact: “Enlighten is innovative, capturing changing levels of proteins released into the bloodstream even in the earliest cancer stages. If Enlighten performs well in MODERNISED, it could mark a step change in early cancer diagnostics.”

Wesley Sukdao, Co-Founder and CEO, Proteotype, highlighted the personal mission behind this work: “Growing up in poverty in South Africa, I lost three of my closest family members to cancers detected too late, all before I turned fourteen. To meaningfully impact health inequalities, cutting-edge cancer diagnostics must be both affordable and accessible. My team and I are focused on delivering on this mission.”