New finger-prick test detects sepsis in cancer patients at home.

March 12, 2024

Neutrocheck® is a point-of-care device for patients outside of hospital to monitor their risk of neutropenic sepsis.

Team raises £2.5 million to develop a revolutionary finger prick test and digital platform that identifies the risk of sepsis in chemotherapy patients at home.

Innovation aims to save NHS institutions millions of pounds each year by reducing unnecessary hospital visits and travel for patients, aligning with the Greener NHS agenda.

52North makes history as the first ever venture investment of Macmillan Cancer Support in its 112-year history.

Dr Saif Ahmad is an Academic Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Co-Founder/ Chief Scientific & Medical Officer of 52North, who enrolled onto the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme in 2019.

Launched in 2018, 52North aims to create affordable technologies that empower patients and enable decentralised clinical decision-making. Developed by the team, Neutrocheck® is a finger prick blood test and digital platform that provides rapid and reliable results at-home helping doctors to identify chemotherapy patients at risk of sepsis.

Neutropenic sepsis (NS) is the most fatal side-effect of chemotherapy treatment. *

After completing his core surgical training in Nottingham and undertaking a placement in palliative care, Dr Saif Ahmad became interested in Oncology. He saw the impact that cancer had on patients and how new treatments allowed them to recover sooner or live their longest and most fulfilled lives with their families. This led Saif to specialise in Cancer and undertake academic speciality training at the University of Cambridge.

Whilst completing his PhD in 2017, his wife Umaima Ahmad, was also undertaking a masters in Bioscience enterprise, when she saw that the university had a focus on innovation and encouraged Saif to explore hypothetical ideas that could support healthcare from his personal experiences. This led Saif to review the challenges he had encountered in the NHS and identified a common issue with patients on Chemotherapy developing Neutropenic sepsis (NS). NS is a whole-body reaction to an infection, which can occur in patients with neutropenia (a low level of neutrophils in the blood). It’s a serious condition that can be life-threatening and must be treated quickly. * The condition can be managed effectively if a patient undergoing chemotherapy is in hospital, as neutrophil levels can be tested by checking white blood cell count but if a patient is at home and presents with even mild signs of an infection (a temperature), national guidelines state that they must come into hospital to be tested, which takes 1-2 hours. Whilst awaiting their results, patients are given intravenous antibiotics as a precaution but in around 50% of cases this isn’t necessary. * Saif found this approach stressful, disruptive, and financially costly for patients living with cancer, as they may have to cancel work, arrange childcare or incur unexpected costs to get to and from the hospital under potentially life-threatening circumstances. The approach also adds additional pressure on healthcare professionals who already have limited resources and time.

Saif identified that a home NS testing kit for patients on Chemotherapy would allow individuals to check if their neutropenic levels were normal before going into hospital. The University of Cambridge then launched a post-doctoral business plan competition, where Saif, Umaima, and a fellow scientist in the lab where Saif was based submitted the information, they had gathered to explore the better management of chemotherapy patients at risk of NS at home. Through the competition they were awarded £10,000 to invest in their idea, which led to the development of 52North and Neutrocheck®. Around the same time, Saif also met fellow co-founders Dr Nikki Weckman and Dr Mireia Crispin, with backgrounds in biosensor engineering and data science/ AI respectively, as part of a university innovation programme.

During the early stages of their innovation’s development, they achieved an £100,000 grant with Innovate UK, where Saif learned about the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme and successfully enrolled as part of cohort 4.

The NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme supported Dr Saif Ahmad from early on in his innovation journey. Through the educational events and networking, he has benefited from mentorship, fellow entrepreneurial support and connections with leaders who have helped him to progress his product. The conducive environment has led him to collaborate and be supported by fellow Clinical Entrepreneurs including Dr Michael Watts from Blüm Health and Krishan Ramdoo from Tympa Health Technologies Ltd.

Overall, 52North have been successful in securing £2.5 million in funding from grants and contracts provided by organisations such as Innovate UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), SBRI Healthcare, and the Accelerated Access Collaborative. They also raised a small pre-seed investment round and were able to build a team to support them, which comprised of 13 individuals.

As the device was being developed, Saif wanted to ensure that it was as accessible and user-friendly as possible. The team worked closely with patients to ensure it was easy to use, affordable and portable, to maximise the economic benefit, and be able to support as many patients as possible. The device’s design is similar to a Covid-19 lateral flow test, but the team internalised the buffer (the clear saline solution) which makes taking the test easier and the results more accurate.

52North is the first ever venture investment of the UK’s largest cancer care charity. *

As the innovation developed in 2023, 52North was awarded the prestigious title of ‘’MedTech Company of the Year’’ in the Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards. This award followed a year of expansion and hard work from the team, as they were able to progress taking the Neutrocheck® solution into trials, working with Addenbrookes hospital to collaborate with over 100 patients, doctors and nurses. The trial is in collaboration with Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), Macmillan Cancer Support and the UK Sepsis Trust following a £1.2m Government Innovation UK Smart Grant, awarded to 52North. This trial aims to build an evidence base to support the roll-out of the NeutroCheck solution across the NHS. In addition, the team initiated several partnerships with renowned institutions such as Imperial College London, University of Cambridge and the East of England Cancer Alliances. These collaborations aim to grow 52North’s impact, and drive breakthroughs in the MedTech industry.

Macmillan Cancer Support, the leading UK cancer charity, then launched a new £3.5million Innovation Impact Investment Portfolio. The portfolio was founded to invest in start-up businesses developing ground-breaking cancer care products and technology. Neutrocheck® was then successfully selected as their first ever investment of £100,000 and alongside the clinical testing, will be shaped by the Macmillan’s Innovation Community- a diverse group of people with lived experience of cancer – as well as doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, patients, and carers.

“Macmillan’s organisational values strongly resonate with us at 52 North, and we’ve been working together for over a year, ensuring that people living with cancer are directly involved in product development for Neutrocheck®. We are delighted to be Macmillan’s first ever venture investment in its 112-year history. Neutrocheck® is a game-changer and has the potential to significantly improve both safety and quality of life for people living with cancer, and we are delighted to receive this recognition from one of the UK’s largest charities, in order to drive better cancer care together.”
Umaima Ahmad, CEO of 52 North Health

The Neutrocheck® Device

The teams’ achievements have also been recognised on a global scale, with 52North being selected as a finalist among more than 1,000 global applicants for the prestigious MedTech Innovator event in Boston. They were also selected to join the Cedars Sinai Accelerator Program in Los Angeles. This opportunity arose through the support of one of their investors – King’s Health Partner Ventures (KHP Ventures). Through mentoring, investment, and innovation, the Cedars-Sinai accelerator program cultivates healthcare advancements to improve patient care globally and the team aims for this to support their entry into the USA healthcare market.

Saif continues to be an active part of the NHS CEP community, and in 2023 he presented at the Big Pitch Event which celebrates another year on the programme and welcomes the newest cohort. The event is attended by programme participants, partners, and senior NHS leaders, which led the 52North team to gain valuable connections with new adoption sites and investors, which have directly led to investments into the company.

“The mentorship and advice on the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme have been really valuable for me, and I have received support from professionals of all different backgrounds. The leadership team on the programme are great at connecting people and have helped me to have conversations with high profile leaders, to progress my innovation.

The Pit Stop events don’t just provide you with educational information, but gives you access to network of support, which makes you feel that you are not alone on your innovation journey. The programme is so very valuable, it helps you to learn a lot of transferable skills and build a strong network- There have been so many benefits!”
Dr Saif Ahmad

Dr Saif Ahmad Pitching at the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme Big Pitch Event 2023

Looking to the future

In 2024, following clinical trials, the team’s next steps are for the Neutrocheck® device to become available to people with cancer through their NHS healthcare providers. This will be boosted by the fact that Neutrocheck was chosen as one of the eight innovations for the exciting Innovative Devices Access Pathway (IDAP) scheme led by the UK government and MHRA to allow more rapid adoption within the NHS of ground-breaking technologies. The team are also exploring FDA approval, to progress to adoption within American cancer centres, with an aim to complete the correct regulatory steps to be able to expand globally, to support cancer patients around the world.

“If you are a clinician, or anyone who is interested in the management of cancer patients and would like to support or collaborate with our team, please get in touch.”
The 52North Team

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