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Leading UK healthcare experts recognised for potentially revolutionary innovations to transform patient care in the next decade and beyond

Thursday 4 December 2008. (London). Despite the credit crunch, leading doctors and scientists proved that healthcare innovation is alive and well in the UK, as the Medical Futures Innovation Awards were presented to innovators for a breathtaking showcase of potentially revolutionary innovations that could transform patient healthcare in the next decade and beyond.

Sir James receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The awards ceremony took place on the grounds of Honorary Artillery Company in central London, in front of a distinguished audience of 800 top business leaders, medical and scientific experts, and policy makers.

Awards were won for a series of novel products and services including a form of injectable bone, a stem cell therapy to repair damaged cardiac muscle, a dental imaging technique that does not use x-rays, targeted genetic techniques to optimise cancer treatments and a portable hand held hearing device to detect hearing loss in less than 30 seconds.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was also presented to Sir James Black OBE, OM, FRS, for his exceptional contribution to drug discovery, medicine and patient care, both as a physician and as a scientist. A Scottish doctor, Sir James developed two major families of medicines that have transformed patient care in cardiology (beta blockers) and gastroenterology (anti-ulcer histamine receptor blockers). His invention of the beta blocker propranolol, revolutionised the medical management of heart disease and is considered to be one of the most important contributions to clinical medicine and pharmacology of the 20th century. His work on cimetidine, an H2 receptor antagonist, has transformed the treatment of stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal conditions dramatically reducing the number of operations carried out in the UK. Sir James was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for these discoveries.

The Medical Futures Innovation Awards aim to discover the next breakthroughs in healthcare and overcome the challenge historically faced in the UK of being great at innovating but poor at subsequently taking ideas to market.  A unique feature of the Medical Futures process is the input from our esteemed judging panels, composed of over 80 leading medical, scientific and business experts. Each of the judges is keen to offer help and guidance to the up and coming innovators of tomorrow. As well as the critical recognition and endorsement of an award, winners receive a bespoke package of support to turn ideas into viable propositions that have credibility with investors. To date, past winners have secured over £80m of funding, and most importantly many have gone onto become successful services or products that are now changing peoples' lives.

The overall cardiology innovation award, was won by a team from Imperial College, London, for developing a new technique using heart stem cells that could repair the damage to the cardiac muscle caused by heart disease and heart attacks.

The overall cancer innovation award was won by a new point of care test for diagnosing bladder cancer. It is non invasive, may be much cheaper and should reduce the need for cystoscopy to diagnose bladder cancer.

Gloucestershire- based Medisoft won the overall award in the ophthalmology category for an electronic patient record system for eye departments.

The overall winner in the dentistry and oral health category is a new form of imaging that will enable dentists to produce images of teeth, bones and gums without the need for xrays and their associated risks.

The overall award winner in the ENT & audiology innovation category went to Sensaurial Ltd., for a hand held medical device that can be used to improve the diagnosis of hearing loss. The hand-held device will carry out a hearing test in less than 30 seconds and can be carried out in the community unlike the cumbersome current tests which have to be carried out in a hospital.

Liquid bone with the texture of toothpaste that can be used in the 1.5 million bone graft procedures performed annually worldwide was the overall winner in the orthopaedic category. A team of scientists and surgeons from Nottingham won the award for developing a synthetic, biodegradable material which has the texture of toothpaste but when injected into the body hardens within 15 minutes, at body temperature and has similar characteristics to normal bone.  It could reduce the need to take bone from other parts of the body, or from other donors when carrying out bone grafts. 

The MRC Translational Research Innovation Award was awarded to the Moorfields Motion Displacement Test (MDT) for glaucoma detection. This is a software program for assessing the field of vision to detect glaucoma and offers the advantages of portability, affordability and potential accessibility through the internet and takes just takes 90 seconds per eye to detect vision problems.

The best business proposition award was won by a team from Cambridge University that have pioneered a series of genetic techniques that can help determine which groups of cancer patients will better respond to cancer medicines based on their genetic profile. The company is already profitable despite being a start up and can save its pharmaceutical company customers hundreds of millions of pounds and shorten the drug discovery time scale.

Commenting on the winners, Mr. Andy Goldberg, MD FRCS (TR&Orth), founder of Medical Futures said:  “The brightest and best of British medical and scientific talent have astounded us with their award winning innovations that are so full of promise and have the capacity to transform patients’ lives.” He continued, “Despite the credit crunch, I hope that the winners will also win recognition from the business and investment community, to support their translation into commercially viable products, services and businesses. We want to ensure that UK healthcare innovations and their wealth creation capability stays in this country for the benefit of UK patients and those around the world rather than being lost overseas to the detriment of UK Plc.”

The Medical Futures Innovations Awards, run by a team of doctors, businessmen and media and communication experts, are part of a wider offering that includes educational and networking events between industry and the medical profession.
A thousand ideas were submitted to the website www.medicalfutures.co.uk in 2008. 

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For further information, please contact:

Roseann Ward
Mob: 44(0) 7932 798151
Office: +44(0)844 8700056
Email: roseann@medicalfutures.co.uk

Tola Awogbamiye
Mob: +44(0) 7967 212 839
Office: +44(0)844 8700056
Email: tola@medicalfutures.co.uk

Notes to Editors

Cardiovascular Innovation Awards – Overall winner

Improved cell therapy for cardiac repair. Michael Schneider, Dorian Haskard, and  Ranil de Silva, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London.
This new technique uses heart stem cells to repair the damage to the cardiac muscle caused by heart disease and heart attacks.  In a heart attack, heart muscle cells die but existing treatments don’t repair the damage to the muscle and have a limited effect on heart function.  Professor Schneider was among the first to show that stem or progenitor cells exist in heart muscle, and then developed techniques to purify progenitor cells from a patient’s heart and grow them in the laboratory. The Imperial College team proposes to graft the human cells into injured cardiac muscle, under clinically relevant conditions, to obtain the safety and efficacy data needed to justify a phase I human trial.  The team is seeking funding to support this essential bridge to clinical evaluation. 

Judges Comments: The judges felt that whilst there are many inherent risks with such early stage research, this is exactly the kind of translational research which should be funded as its potential impact is significant.

Ophthalmology Innovation Awards – Overall Winner

Medisoft - an electronic patient records system for eye departments. Robert Johnston Consultant Ophthalmologist, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Medical Director Medisoft Limited and David Johnston, CEO Medisoft Limited.
An Ophthalmology doctor has developed an electronic patient records system for eye departments.  The system was set up to overcome the frustrations of not being able to access the outcomes of operations and other difficulties surrounding paper based notes.  The system captures all of the required information around surgery and outpatient appointments. 

The system also includes information on glaucoma and diabetic eye disease. A company, Medisoft has been formed and in less than eight years the team have managed to go from a standing start to covering almost all of the eye departments in the UK that have electronic patient records. Medisoft is carrying out a pilot to test the feasibility of paperless eye departments and have ambitious growth plans.

Judges Comments: The Judges felt this was an exemplar as to how electronic records should be developed, from the bottom up with clinical and technical collaboration, to exacting standards. They felt that the team have the potential to create a national database for ophthalmology.

The Dentistry and Oral Health Innovation Awards –& THE NHS Technology Innovation Awards - Overall winner

InfraRed dental imaging without x-rays. Dr Christopher Longbottom, Prof John Girkin, Prof Nigel Pitts and Dr Simon Poland, Dundee University and Strathclyde University.
This is a medical device that will enable dentists to produce images of teeth, bones and gums similar to X-rays using Infrared light.  The team have developed the instrument using a miniature camera and a set of tiny mirrors to produce images of the teeth but without the risks associated with X-rays, especially in children.  The idea came about through collaboration between physicists and dentists and the hope is to enable dentists to monitor teeth and bones over time. InfraRed Imaging potentially has much wider application for example, in measuring bone density.  The team is currently testing out their device in the laboratory and they are seeking funding to develop and test a clinical instrument. 

Judges Comments: The Judges were highly impressed by the potential of this technology and wish to see it progress and obtain proof of concept.

The ENT & Audiology Innovation Awards – Overall Winner

Hand Held Hearing Tests in 30 seconds. Mr Jonathan Scotchbrook, Martin Simpson, Gary Norman, Sensaurial Ltd, Oxford.
This is a medical device to improve the diagnosis of hearing loss. Every person has a specific hearing profile, however techniques currently used to measure hearing are limited, measuring only eight frequency points. They also require a large hospital based laboratory, and can take up to half an hour to complete. A company from Oxford is developing a much simpler, hand-held device that uses technology to measure hundreds of frequencies in less than 30 seconds. Pre-clinical trials have been very positive and the team are now looking for funding to commence clinical trials, with the aim of having a market ready device by the end of 2009.

Judges Comments: The Judges felt this was a very exciting concept that needs to go through appropriate clinical trials, and if positive, they would like to see this brought to the market in the shortest possible time.

The Orthopaedic  Innovation Awards – Overall winner

Injectable Bone. Professor Kevin Shakesheff, University of Nottingham, Michael Leek, Cheryl Hunter, and Helen Cox, Regentec Ltd, Nottingham
This is a polymer technology to make a liquid bone for use as bone graft during surgery. A team of scientists from Nottingham have developed a synthetic, biodegradable material which has the texture of toothpaste but when injected into the body hardens within 15 minutes, at body temperature and has similar characteristics to normal bone. Approximately 1.5 million bone graft procedures are performed annually worldwide. Many of these require bone to be taken from other parts of the body, or from other donors. Although there are many other synthetic materials on the market, they are difficult to shape and the new ‘injectable bone’ is a much simpler procedure, allowing bone voids to be filled with ease. The material is biodegradable allowing new bone to replace it gradually. The team are seeking funding to carry out clinical trials.

Judges Comments: The Judges felt that this was a platform technology with significant clinical utility. They particularly liked the fact that it did not heat up when inserted into the body like many other injectable substances. They would like to see this enter into clinical trials.

The MRC Translational Research Innovation Awards – Overall winner

The Moorfields Motion Displacement Test (MDT) for Glaucoma Detection. Mr. David Garway-Heath, Dr. Gay Mary Verdon-Roe, Mr. Ananth Viswanathan, and Professor Fred Fitzke, Moorfields Eye Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
The Moorfields motion displacement test (MDT) is a software program for assessing the field of vision to detect glaucoma. The aim of the test is to tackle the global challenge of undiagnosed glaucoma. The MDT runs on a laptop computer and offers the advantages of portability, affordability and potential accessibility through the internet. The latest test strategy, developed with City University, London, takes 90 seconds per eye and is currently undergoing validation with three international centres. The team seeks to commercialise the technology on completion of the validation program in 2009. Future plans include the development of a paediatric version of the test in collaboration with Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

Judges Comments: The panel believed that if the multi-centre trials prove positive, that this could be an exciting tool with commercial utility and would like to see a robust implementation plan developed especially one that looks at reimbursement in the US.

The Cancer Innovation Awards & Best Business Proposition – Overall winner

Diagnostic Device to Detect Bladder Cancer. Dr. Nick Miller-Jones and Lawrence Fenelon, UroSens Ltd, Cambridge.
This is a point of care test for diagnosing bladder cancer. It detects the presence of a special protein, a marker for bladder cancer in a urine sample.  The main current method for diagnosing bladder cancer is cystoscopy, which involves passing an endoscope up the urethra and into the bladder under anaesthetic.  The new test will be much cheaper, is non-invasive, and hopes to save many patients the need for a cystoscopy. Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer with high level of recurrence.  The team hope that the test could be used to monitor cancer patients and check for recurrence and in the long run, possibly become a screening tool.  The test is undergoing clinical trials and should be available in two to three years. 

Judges Comments: The underlying technology behind this innovation won a previous Medical Futures Award and they are delighted to now see it find clinical utility. They are keen to see this enter into clinical trials, and if positive, they believe it could drastically change the management of this serious disease.

Best Business Proposition – Overall winner

Personalised Cancer Medicines. Dr. Christopher Torrance, Professor Alberto Bardelli,       Dr. Darrin, M Disley, Dr. Rob Howes, and Dr. Paul Morrill, Horizon Discovery Ltd, Cambridge.
This is a series of genetic techniques that can determine which groups of patients will respond to cancer drugs based on their genetic profile. The drug development process is very expensive and many drugs are found to be ineffective or have unacceptable side effects far too late in the process, often after hundreds of millions of pounds have been spent. A world-class team of scientists from Cambridge have developed a patent protected technique to help pharmaceutical companies know which patient groups will respond to their drugs much earlier on in development, and can also them help develop new classes of drugs tailored to the genetic characteristics of certain patient populations. They aim to bring personalised medicine closer to reality and are looking for strategic investors and collaborators. 

Judges Comments: The Judges welcomed this as a breakthrough that could speed up the process of drug discovery and in the process help many patients from having to take drugs that may not work for them. They would like to see pharmaceutical companies and regulators embrace the concept of personalised medicine.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Sir James Black
Sir James Black OM was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contribution to drug discovery, medicine and patient care.  A Scottish doctor, Sir James, has contributed significantly to scientific, medical and clinical care, both as a physician and as a scientist. Sir James developed two major families of medicines that have transformed patient care in cardiology (beta blockers) and gastroenterology (anti-ulcer histamine receptor blockers).His invention of propranolol, the beta blocker, revolutionised the medical management of angina and is considered to be one of the most important contributions to clinical medicine and pharmacology of the 20th century. His work on cimetidine, an H2 receptor antagonist, has transformed the treatment of stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal conditions. Sir James was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for these discoveries.

ABOUT THE MEDICAL FUTURES INNOVATION AWARDS
The Medical Futures Innovation Awards are a unique UK based Awards process that helps healthcare professionals and academics turn their ideas into tangible solutions that can improve patient care. 

The Awards, run by a team of doctors, businessmen and media and communication experts, are part of a wider offering that includes educational and networking events between industry and the medical profession and in 2008, over 1000 ideas have been submitted via the website www.medicalfutures.co.uk. 

By entering the Medical Futures Awards process, front line clinicians and academics have the chance to pitch their ideas in a Dragon’s Den style to a world-class panel of experts including the likes of Sir Bruce Keogh, Medical Director for the NHS; Baroness Susan Greenfield, Director of the Royal Institution; and Tom Ilube, Co-Founder of Egg Internet Bank.  The Judges select winners based on three principle criteria: - novelty; impact on patient care and its viability, whether that is clinical, technical or commercial.
As well as the critical recognition and endorsement of a Medical Futures Innovation Award, winners receive a bespoke package of support to turn ideas into viable propositions that have credibility with investors. This may include assistance in articulating their idea; securing funding; and introductions to professional and commercial contacts vital in taking their idea to the next level.

The awards ceremony was hosted by television presenter, Melanie Sykes and comedian David Mitchell.  As the event was also a charity fundraiser, many celebrities attended including the BBC’s Jonathan Ross, Andrew Marr, Dr. Alice Roberts and Mishal Husain, presenter Anthea Turner, former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley, and entrepreneurs Luke Johnson (Founder of Pizza Express) and Martha Lane Fox (Co-founder of Lastminute.com).
www.medicalfutures.co.uk