A Manchester business that has developed a groundbreaking blood test to identify individuals at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease is now preparing for a major product launch.
- £22,500 Innovation Grant funding
- 2 new jobs forecast
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) progression: 7 to 9
From its base at Manchester Science Park, PharmaKure stands at the forefront of life sciences innovation. Thanks to support from GM Business Growth Hub, the company is on track to launch a new product in 2025 that aims to revolutionise the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.
GM Business Growth Hub | Accelerating diagnostic and genomic projects
Advancing healthcare through precision diagnostics
Founded in 2012, PharmaKure is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Addressing the urgent need for cost-effective, simple diagnostic tests, PharmaKure has developed a blood assay – a precise method for analysing and understanding what’s in a blood sample – that aims to provide early warnings of cognitive decline.
This unique blood test kit, ALZmetrixTM , can predict people who are at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease and, when used alongside machine learning algorithms or tools, could help with earlier diagnosis and the monitoring of the disease’s progression.
“Alzheimer’s Disease is often formally diagnosed in people 65 and older, but it starts earlier with subtle neurological changes occurring years or even decades before symptoms appear,” explains Dr. Farid Khan, the University of Manchester spin-out’s CEO and Co-founder. “Early diagnosis and intervention would lead to improved quality of life, slowing disease progression and relieving symptoms, as well as potentially vastly reduced social care costs.”
Bringing ALZmetrixTM to market first requires independent analytical, statistical and clinical validation. Once completed, the results can then be submitted to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for approval to market the product.
“There are always challenges to overcome during the development and commercialisation of medical technologies – it’s a costly, complex process requiring meticulous strategy and significant investment,” says Dr. Khan, who received an Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Salford, as well as The Muslim News’ Fazlur Rahman Khan Award for Excellence in Engineering, Science or Technology.
“GM Business Growth Hub has been crucial for us. Through their Innovation Navigator programme, we were assigned a Commercialisation Specialist, Jeremy Goodwin, who helped us access grant funding of £22,500, covering around 60% of the costs. Alongside this, their Innovation Health and Life Sciences Specialist, Dr. Yousef Taktak has been there to make sure our technology development strategy was aligned to target markets, NHS resources, and cost efficiencies, and supported us with our clinical validation studies.”
A decade of collaborative growth
It’s a partnership that goes back to 2014, when PharmaKure first started accessing GM Business Growth Hub’s fully-funded innovation support. Since then, the company’s management team has benefited from bespoke one-to-one consultancy on strategic development, business planning, and diagnostic technology development.
Dr. Khan emphasises the value of the collaboration: “It’s been transformative, enabling us to bring our innovations closer to market while also strengthening our business foundations. Being able to call on people from outside the company who have the required technical and business knowledge to challenge our thinking and provide constructive feedback is incredibly important for us.”
Setting the stage for commercial success
The clinical validation study was completed in December 2024 and confirmed PharmaKure’s ALZmetrixTM as a new and validated product. The regulatory submission is expected to take place in the first quarter of 2025, with approval expected to be granted by Q3.
Once ALZmetrixTM is available for sale, the business expects to move from a research state to an incoming generating organisation, creating at least two new jobs.
Start your business support journey today
GM Business Growth Hub provides specialist consultancy to accelerate and guide projects within diagnostics and genomics. If you have a research project, are in the process of developing new products or services, or have a working prototype, we can provide the support to fast-track you to commercialisation. Whether you need access to research facilities, advice and support with securing IP, or new market identification and launch planning, we can help address any barriers and challenges.
Call us on 0161 359 3050 or email bgh@growthco.uk. This expert help is available at no cost to eligible businesses across Greater Manchester.
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