Countdown to BioTrinity

The Oxford AHSN is a key driving force behind BioTrinity - where great minds, smart money and key dealmakers will be getting together next week.
This video tells you more. We are hosting a workshop on inward investment with valuable input from our Local Enterprise Partnerships and others. It will explore new approaches to partnering and showcase examples of innovative investment. The BioTrinity biopartnering and investment conference takes place in London on 12-14 May. Follow proceedings on Twitter #biotrinity
BioTrinity is organised by OBN.

SBRI Healthcare pumps millions into innovation

A national programme championed by Academic Health Science Networks has announced £12.7m of awards in its latest competitions – including eight to companies from our region.

SBRI Healthcare, funded by NHS England, aims to develop innovative products and services towards better health experiences and outcomes. SBRI has eight categories – including diabetes (co-sponsored by the Oxford AHSN), mental health and patient safety. It covers three distinct phases – feasibility, prototype development and validation in NHS settings.

SBRI Healthcare Director Karen Livingstone said: “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.”

The latest awards winners include a number from companies based in the Oxford AHSN region. Among them are Milton Park-based Isansys Lifecare Ltd which was successful on two fronts:

the development of a method for early detection of sepsis in the community to avoid hospital admission through primary care interventions for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
the development of a multiple vital sign patient data acquisition and analysis platform for rapid early detection of patient deterioration and avoidance of adverse events.

Other successful companies in our region were:

Oncascan Ltd (Milton Park) – new colorectal cancer test identifying patients at earlier stage
Oxford Medical Diagnostics Ltd (Yarnton) – breath ketone analysis for improved diabetes management
P1vital Ltd (Wallingford) – assessment tool for managing treatment of depression
ProReal Ltd (Oxford) – software development with applications in mental health
Halliday James Ltd (Banbury) – sensors detecting changes in everyday activities indicating mood changes
OBS Medical Ltd (Abingdon) – improving patient safety and outcomes through early detection of patient deterioration and instability
Fuel 3D (Chinnor) – wound management system

The Oxford AHSN is organising events in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire to find out more about SBRI. Details to follow.

Interview with SBRI Healthcare Director Karen Livingstone

(scroll down to 16 April blog)
Karen is also a Director of the Eastern Academic Health Science Network

News from our clinical networks

Almost 100 people attended the launch of the Medicines Optimisation clinical network on 28 April. Topics covered included tackling variation, reducing waste, discharge information and developing relationships with the pharmaceutical industry. A video capturing some of the highlights will be published here soon.

‘New ideas for the old’ is the title of the Dementia Clinical Network launch event which takes place on Wednesday 14 May. More details here.

Integrated Care Institute launched in Bucks

The NHS and academia have come together in Bucks to form the Institute of Integrated Care. Dr Dan Lasserson who leads the Oxford AHSN Out of Hospital Care network said: “The Institute for Integrated Care will be a valuable partner as we develop the Out of Hospital Care Network. The Institute's skills and expertise will contribute greatly to the collective understanding of how best to innovate in care for the most vulnerable and frail.”

Coming soon...

12-14 May
BioTrinity event

19 May
Oxford Biomedical Research Centre open day

18 June
Oxford AHSN annual Partnership Council meeting

24 June
App development workshop

More events >>>

Slough wins share of £50m Challenge Fund

Slough CCG is getting almost £3m as one of 20 pilot projects which made successful bids to the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund to improve access to primary care. Slough’s Steps to the Future project includes extended opening hours at GP surgeries, health awareness sessions in schools and health promotion via text. It was developed with input from local people.
Click here for more information

Some recent developments you may have missed

Health atlas allows online search of risk by area in England and Wales

Four Oxford biotech projects in the top ten OneStart Europe finalists

All 550+ organisations, institutions and businesses with links to the Oxford AHSN region together on one interactive map (with thanks to OBN)

Health Foundation Improvement Science Fellowship programme open for applications

SPOTLIGHT: Early Access Medicines Scheme

The Government has launched the Early Access Medicines Scheme (EAMS) which aims to support access to unlicensed or off-label medicines in areas of unmet medical need. It introduces a new “Promising Innovative Medicine” (PIM) designation which provides an early indication that a product may be a possible candidate for EAMS based on early clinical data, for example from Phase II studies. Designation could occur several years before licensing and will be issued after a Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) designation scientific meeting.

Products that may apply for a designation include new biological or chemical entities, or re-purposing of established or recently approved products. The criteria are that the medicine is targeting life-threatening, or seriously debilitating, conditions for which there is either no treatment or current treatments are unsatisfactory.

The scheme also provides for the MHRA to issue a new benefit: risk opinion that will support the prescriber to make a decision with the patient on using the medicine, when still unlicensed or off-label. Complementing the designation and earlier access, a newly co-ordinated NICE technology appraisal and NHS England Commissioning process will be introduced. As part of the appraisal process manufacturers would be able to make use of PPRS provisions for Flexible Pricing (or Patient Access Schemes) to adjust the value proposition for medicines. It is envisaged that AHSNs will have significant potential to support this process.

Click here for more information

Look out for the next Oxford AHSN newsletter in early June

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