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Posted: 23 july 2020

VInehealth ranking #5 in TechRound100, start-ups of 2020.

Rayna, a former NHS doctor, and Georgina, a data scientist, combined forces to create a pioneering app in cancer care. Vinehealth was designed to empower cancer patients to take control of their treatment. Through creating an app, this gave patients…

Top UK surgeon launches revolutionary 3D printing program to improve heart surgery for children

Hampshire’s leading heart charity, Wessex Heartbeat, has funded a program that can transform the way heart surgery is performed in Southampton. The revolutionary project will allow surgeons to get an accurate 3D printed model of a patient’s heart before surgery, giving additional insights and improving peace of mind to patients and their families. The 3D printing program will support clinicians at the University Hospital Southampton, which has become the latest NHS Foundation Trust to use 3D printing in the hope that it will encourage less evasive, and more accurate, pre-operative planning for surgery on children with congenital heart disease (CHD). The pioneering 3D printing program will enable clinicians to create a model of the patient’s heart. Surgeons at the hospital can request a model by sending a CT scan or MRI scan to medical 3D printing firm, Axial3D. Once the patient data is received, algorithm and segmentation experts at Axial3D will create and ship a 3D printable model in less than 48 hours. The models produced will be an exact replica of the patient’s heart, and will offer an in-depth look at the organ, including any tiny imperfections that may have originally been missed. The use of this new and cutting-edge technology means that surgeons can meticulously plan any operations necessary and completely minimise the number of invasive operations and procedures that the child will undergo throughout his or her life. Once used, the 3D hearts can also offer training and practice opportunities to help develop more precise and efficient surgery techniques. Mr Nicola Viola, who is one of the UK’s top paediatric and adult congenital cardiac surgeons said: “3D printing is an incredible piece of technology which can change the way we approach congenital heart disease treatment in children. “Working with Axial3D’s 3D printing team allows us to focus on the patient’s heart in the confidence that they are printing exactly what we need. Even more importantly, the ability to customise each model before printing allows us to personalise treatment further, ensuring that we know exactly what we are dealing with before reaching the operating theatre.” Daniel Crawford, Founder and CSO at Axial3D, said “We are delighted that through the support of Wessex Heartbeat, we can welcome University Hospital Southampton onboard as the latest hospital showing their desire to transform patient care. “Our mission is to disprove the myth of medical 3D printing being a lengthy and costly process by offering a nationally accessible medical Hub available to all NHS and private hospitals. The savings we make are passed directly onto the users ensuring all healthcare professionals can access the technology and skills necessary to improve surgical planning.” John Munro, CEO at Wessex Heartbeat, said “Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the UK, and we recognise that having a child with this condition leads to devastation for the whole family. Being able to maximise efficiency and offer such respite to the families with the technology used is vital to not only the general wellbeing of the patient and their family but also to the recovery and living stage, after diagnosis. Wessex Heartbeat have committed to raise funds to continue to support this amazing project for at least the next 4 years”

Establishing an adaptable infrastructure to cope with health crises

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the world has witnessed a number of healthtech innovations – from the sudden rise of telehealth platforms, to use of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosis. The NHS has faced an unprecedented challenge, and modern telecommunications have enabled NHSX – the UK Government unit driving forward the digital transformation of health and social care – which can be used to track COVID-19 in real-time and potentially limit its spread. The pandemic has shown that these innovations are not only essential to solving many of our global healthcare concerns, but there is an urgent need for an adaptable infrastructure to cope with such health crises. We must look to technology for a solution. Current technology in healthcare In healthcare today, AI is already used through the application of machine learning. This enables medical professionals to better understand certain health conditions. For example, through AI programmes, scientists can explore the huge volume of data that makes up the DNA in the blood of cancer patients. With this insight, they can detect specific mutations which will eventually be used to classify those most at risk or identify those that may perhaps require further consultation .Through pattern recognition, AI has the potential to enable patients to be screened with greater efficiency and scale, and assist doctors with overall disease management. As a result, they will eventually be able to improve or better coordinate healthcare plans for long-term treatment. Internet of things (IoT) is also allowing us to approach major health issues differently, mainly though forms of monitoring and supervision. Consumers are already seeing the adoption of smart watches and other wearables that can track our exercise output or heartrate – but doctors are seeing the potential application of these types of technologies within wider healthcare – perhaps they would be put to even better use in the remote monitoring of patients or improving medical systems of record. In the future, we may begin to see these sensors dispersed within our own bodies, tracking everything from oxygen, to glucose, even body temperature – or perhaps smart devices installed in our home with remote access for our GPs and other healthcare professionals. Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic When it comes to COVID-19, this is new territory and so it must be approached differently. AI can be used to identify high-risk groups and possibly diagnose potential patients. For example, studies show that those with chronic illnesses and other underlying health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease or obesity, have a greater risk of complications from the virus. AI could potentially assist in the discovery of a new vaccine, however, there simply is not enough data relative to COVID-19 that can be used to train these machine learning algorithms or broader AI. Another area of AI that will likely become more popular as a result of COVID-19 are chatbots. With people still required to self-isolate if they, or anyone in their household, has symptoms of coronavirus, natural language processing will enable doctor’s to better understand people’s physical and mental conditions. Online chatbots, or ‘robot-doctors’, will eventually be able to collect data, advise on certain conditions and forward cases to medical professionals. As well as delivering the scalability that the NHS needs, doctors can reach the highest number of people, whilst also performing a diagnosis at a safe distance. That’s why it’s critical that we adapt our infrastructure to meet evolving requirements.

Major bio-pharma directors say adoption of AI in their industry is still too slow

New research highlights the key blockers and attitudes towards AI adoption by large European bio-pharmaceutical groups and technology startups. While artificial intelligence (AI) was already a hot topic before, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly intensified the discussions and developments of this technology in the health space. Yet, real implementations of AI solutions in this sector remain relatively sparse. The recently published white paper “Accelerating AI Adoption in Bio-Pharma through Collaboration” co-authored by experts at INSEAD, Agalio and Early Metrics, investigates the reasons behind this. Novartis, AstraZeneca, Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), Amgen, Sanofi – these are a few of the pharmaceutical companies from which the directors interviewed for this study hail from. Besides the ten corporates involved, the study also gathered the views of some of the leading AI startup founders in the healthcare space, including Owkin and Quantmetry. According to the study, the main blockers to the adoption of AI in bio-pharma are as follows: Lack of data in high quantity and quality that pharma companies can make accessible to startups, reducing the efficiency of their AI solutions Strict data protection and privacy regulations, leading to long processes to make technology compliant and creating barriers for innovative newcomers Lack of disruptive business models being created in the biopharmaceutical industry Risk-averse approaches to innovation within big pharma and the public sector denoting a need for a shift in mindset towards openness to collaboration and disruption While startups are recognised as a valuable source of innovation, corporates remain cautious in engaging with them. Bertille LeBihan, VC Manager and Healthtech Lead at Early Metrics comments: “We have seen that 1 in 3 AI startups targets health alongside multiple industries so these might not fully grasp the regulatory and technical specificities of the medical sector. On the flip side, AI founders that focus their activity on healthcare, about 12%, are often academics or doctors who lack the sales and business administration experience to build viable business models.” The study also shows lack of funding provided to AI startups in the healthcare sector is pushing some to pivot towards finance and other sectors with better access to funding. The data shows healthtech companies on average raise 12% less than their targeted sum. Martin Dubuc, General Manager at Biogen France states in the white paper: “Digital health has not shaken the core of healthcare yet.” Indeed, unlike in the mobility and retail spaces, disruptive business models are yet to appear in this sector which contributes to a slower pace of new technology adoption. However, the authors note that the coronavirus pandemic was a stressor that catalysed many innovative collaborations and projects. Jean-Michel Moslonka, CEO at Agalio and co-author of this paper, has seen that acceleration first-hand through the Datacovid project: “The severity of the COVID-19 crisis forces the pharmaceutical industry to move faster. In fact, it is catalysing automation in the clinical, medical, marketing and sales planning processes, down to drug volume demand forecasting and KPI monitoring. On top of this, it has created much more appetite for collaboration, including cross-competition partnerships. Examples of this new trend towards “pharma co-opetition” include competitors developing a COVID-19 vaccine together.” As Patrick Errard, Innovation Commission President at MEDEF and General Manager at Astellas France, says in the study: “A digital revolution does not happen thanks to one technology’s brilliance. It has to happen because the ecosystem is under such pressure that it has no other way out.” The sanitary crisis might have just provided that needed nudge. Moving forwards, pooling resources and data between ecosystem players and combining technologies such as blockchain with AI, are emerging as solutions to tackle key challenges in the adoption of AI. Chengyi Lin, Affiliate Professor of Strategy at INSEAD and co-author, comments: “During COVID-19, the healthcare sector demonstrated great strength and solidarity. The crisis also challenged the traditional way of practising medicine and accelerated digital transformation (via telemedicine, for instance). Post-COVID, this acceleration will call for more meaningful collaborations among all players, especially between the private and public sector, between pharma incumbents and startups, to create new ecosystem values. Moreover, partnerships with players from other industries such as tech, finance and consumer goods could also bring in additional learnings.” Ultimately, it seems European pharma directors agree on three things: one, AI is a technology that has untapped potential in healthcare; two, the adoption rate of AI in bio-pharma is too slow especially compared to other sectors; and three, unlocking the full value of AI in healthcare is impossible without collaboration between corporates, startups and the public sector.

A Tale Of Two Startups—Health Sector Innovation In A Time Of Crisis

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson was discharged from hospital after three days in intensive care, he wasted little time in lavishing fulsome praise on the treatment he received from Britain’s National Health Service (NHS). His words were doubtless heartfelt - Johnson had, after all, been admitted for treatment after an initially mild COVID-19 infection morphed into something more serious - but they also represented good politics. The Prime Minister would have been aware that even in more normal times, the NHS is, by far and away, Britain’s most popular public institution. And in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis, healthcare workers are the heroes and heroines of the hour. Thus, in describing the NHS as “unconquerable,” he was aligning himself with the mood of the nation while also talking up the ability of the service to deliver life-saving care in the most extreme of circumstances. But the NHS - like healthcare systems almost everywhere - is struggling to cope. It still faces shortages of personal protection equipment (PPE) and just at the moment admissions to hospital are expected to peak, many key members of staff are stuck in self-isolation having displayed COVID-19 symptoms. The problem of staff absence is exacerbated by a continuing shortfall in testing to confirm whether or not individuals actually do have the virus. Meanwhile, more widely, it seems unlikely that Britain’s public health authorities will hit their testing target any time soon. Without widespread testing, it will be difficult to come out of lockdown. Difficult times. This Emmy Winning Rapper & Best-Selling Author Founded A Billion Dollar Startup And Runs The Height Of Mount Everest For Fun The Keys To Making A World-Class Virtual Pitch Or Presentation As ETF Launches A £167 Million Fund Are Investors Warming To Profit And Purpose Ventures So what role, if any, can entrepreneurs working in the healthtech sector play in helping the NHS - and indeed providers - cope with the pressures created by the pandemic? Now, this is probably not the time to bang the gong for Britain’s tech entrepreneurs. Politicians, managers and clinicians are engaged in a battle to get ahead of the COVID-19 outbreak and they don’t necessarily have the time or energy to actively bring new services and solutions on board at any kind of pace. That said, in areas such as testing, staff deployment and even the supply of equipment, a few private-sector startup companies may be able to provide genuinely useful and meaningful help. The question is, how easy is it for healthtech startups to engage with government and the NHS at this time? I spoke to two businesses that have had very different experiences. Sourcing Staff Melissa Morris is CEO and co-founder of Lantum, a healthcare workforce management platform that matches clinical capacity with demand. Having managed to get a foot in Britain’s public health system by enabling primary healthcare providers to source locums, it is now also helping to manage staffing requirements for some of the tele-healthcare operations, clinics and treatment centers that are engaged in fighting the virus. As Morris explains, securing a foothold within Britain’s healthcare system wasn’t straightforward or easy, not least because the NHS is made up of a myriad of providers. And depending on the nature of the solution, procurement of third party products or services might be done at a national level or locally. In addition, regular restructuring of the health service can mean that it is difficult to keep track of where purchasing decisions are made. Morris cites her own experience. “I started my career working at NHS London,” she says. “That was expanded to become NHS England.” This change, she adds: “Made is impossible to pinpoint decision-makers.” Lantum decided to focus on primary care. “We went door to door talking to GP practices,” she says. “And as we began to build market share, we had more to talk about when we approached other potential customers. We built relationships. Today, Lantum has around 21,000 clinicians on its books and provides a service to 2,000 GP practices. According to Morris, it is become easier for tech-driven startups to get on the NHS radar screen. “Things have got better since the arrival of Matt Hancock as Health Secretary,” she says. “He started NHS X, a central hub that makes decisions on anything digital within the NHS.” Lantum also took part in NHS Innovate, an accelerator program. “That gave us exposure to senior figures,” Morris adds. In terms of the COVID-19 crisis, Morris says the relationships and links built up over time have enabled Lantum to supply not only staff management services but also vital data that is helping the NHS manage spikes in demand for clinicians. Sniffing Out The Virus Ancon Medical has, so far, had less success in building relationships within the NHS, despite developing a technology that could, according to CEO Wesley Baker, prove a game-changer in testing for COVID-19. Founded by Dr. Boris Gorbunov, Ancon Medical has created a device that can detect a range of illnesses by analyzing chemical biomarkers in human breath. The applications include the early detection of cancers, ebola and, crucially, Coronaviruses. “We did a trial in the US to detect influenza viruses, “ says Baker. “We were blown away. We detected six cases of Coronavirus. We know we can do virus detection and we know we can detect Coronavirus.” Baker has spoken with Health Secretary Matt Hancock but, to date, the company hasn’t succeeded in persuading the U.K. or the E.U. to sanction trials. “However, we are getting traction in the U.S.,” Baker adds. And while Baker welcomes the creation of NHS X, so far it hasn’t helped Ancon, So what happens next? Baker says Ancon Medical’s tech offers a faster (results come back very quickly) and more cost-effective means to test for illnesses than conventional methods. It is also non-invasive, which may be a relief for those who currently face tests that involve swabs being inserted uncomfortably into the subject’s nostrils. In a bid to get that message across, Baker has spoken to his local MP and the company has also been in contact with former government health ministers, who may be able to provide introductions. Ancon is playing a longer game. Once a disease has been profiled the device can be applied to a wide range of analysis tasks. As such, the company’s selling point extends far beyond the current crisis. There is, however, clear frustration at the progress to date, given that the company's technology has already been used by the miltary in areas such as germ warfare detection. Given the growing size of the healthtech startup community - both here in the U.K. and elsewhere - the chances are a whole range of useful solutions are waiting to be deployed. But the truth is that public healthcare systems are often not easy to access and where tests and treatments are concerned adoption tends to be (rightly) a lengthy process due to the tests required. And truth to tell, while new solutions will be needed to face down the Coronavirus threat, the intensity of the crisis also limits the bandwidth that decision makers have at their disposal to make proper assessments.

How the Covid-19 pandemic has put the UK healthtech sector centre stage

The UK’s healthtech sector has rallied its world-class talent and skills to help in the fight against Covid-19. Startups and scaleups have found themselves working side by side with large-scale, global tech companies towards the common goal of providing new and much-required services and technology. From tracking cases to supporting front-line staff; loaning vital equipment and resources; providing online patient care; and gathering and analysing data; tech companies large and small across the country are rising to the challenge to help the government and the NHS. “Over the last month the UK’s healthtech sector has shown why it is a global leader, quickly using its expertise to develop practical solutions to help the government and the NHS with innovative products and services to respond to those in need. These new technologies will not only help in the here and now but they will also shape the future of healthcare in the UK and indeed across the world. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the startups and tech companies that have switched their entire focus to backing the national effort to tackle this health crisis.” Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State for Digital “We are seeing scaleups making huge leaps that would normally take years, in just a few weeks. The UK’s healthtech sector has grown in size and value in recent years and has taken an increasing level of investment from venture capital backers. That puts the sector in a strong position right now and it is brilliant to see the sector using its resources to step up to the challenge.” Gerard Grech, Chief Executive of Tech Nation The UK healthtech sector has been able to step up because it is one of the strongest in the world, having attracted $7.7bn (£6.2bn) from global venture capital investors over the last five years, according to data from Tech Nation’s Data Commons, provided by Dealroom.co. Healthtech is now the second biggest sub-set of the UK tech sector after fintech and there are more than 100 healthtech companies that are on track to become $1bn businesses. The rapid switch to digital communication and tools across the sector, in the face of the crisis, is likely to have a profound impact on how quickly digital healthcare becomes part of the healthcare system in the next few years. “Tech can help the country deal with coronavirus. Digital tools are vital, whether they work to collect data or to connect patients with clinical staff. I’m delighted that so many startups and innovative tech businesses have offered their skills, talent and ideas to help us.” Matthew Gould, CEO of NHSX “Push Doctor is and always has been passionate about supporting digital technology throughout the NHS. Our partnership and collaborative approach with the NHS over the past few years has allowed our partners to see the benefits of telemedicine and digital healthcare overall. I am proud to see a number of digital providers collectively coming together to support the crisis and ensuring our heroic NHS staff are exposed to the virus as little as possible.” Wais Shaifta, Chief Executive Officer of Push Doctor In six of the last seven years, investment in UK healthtech has been the highest in Europe and the number of companies in the sector has increased by more than 25% since 2015. During 2019 the sector received $2.3bn in venture capital backing, almost double that of France, the next highest recipient. The companies in the sector have a combined turnover of £24 billion and employ more than 127,400 people across 3,860 businesses. “For a long time we have been talking about the potential for better use of data and AI in healthcare and digital delivery of care and tools to support front-line clinicians. Now we are getting the chance to use these for real on a mass scale. The crisis is giving healthtech companies the chance to show what they can do and the response from the many companies who have got involved demonstrates that we do have the talent and skills here to build globally significant healthtech companies.” Julia Hawkins, partner at LocalGlobe This comes as the Chancellor announced UK businesses driving innovation and development hit by Covid-19 will be helped with a £1.25 billion government support package. This includes a £500 million investment fund for high-growth companies, made up of funding from government and the private sector to protect these businesses and enable the unicorns of tomorrow to thrive. Fast-moving solutions The fast-moving and quick changing nature of Covid-19 has required a response similar in speed and agility. The UK healthtech sector’s quick response has been nothing short of inspiring. Oxford Nanopore Technologies has provided its suite of sequencing products to countries worldwide, to help with the research and genetic epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Gordon Sanghera, CEO, Oxford Nanopore said “The scientific community has been quick to use sequencing technologies to understand the transmission of coronavirus, and whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself is changing, as well as the effect of other pathogens that are present alongside the virus. This information will also be a vital tool for public health authorities as they manage a responsible lifting of restrictions, in countries across the world. We are committed to supporting scientists using Oxford Nanopore’s technology for this important work, and while we do that our R&D teams continue to innovate for coronavirus.” BenevolentAI, who recently joined Future Fifty 8.0 have already identified a potential Covid-19 treatment that has moved forward to clinical testing. “Life sciences and technology companies have a duty to mobilise resources for the public good in this global health emergency that has already claimed so many lives. That’s why we turned our AI drug discovery and development platform toward understanding the body’s response to coronavirus and exploring existing medicines with the potential to address the life threatening complications of the disease. We’re pleased that the Eli Lilly drug we identified as a potential treatment for its anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties has already been moved forward to clinical testing in America and we look forward to the results.” Baroness Joanna Shields, CEO, BenevolentAI AccuRx, a trusted tool for UK GPs to send text messages to patients, built a video consultation product over a single weekend, which is now being used by over 90% of GP practices and for online appointments. CEO and Co-founder, Jacob Haddad of accuRx said “NHS staff need to have safe, reliable and intuitive ways of communicating with patients and colleagues, and the crisis has made this need more acute than ever. Building a video consultation product over a weekend was one of the first ways that we were able to achieve that and we have already released a range of other features to support frontline staff. GP practices and hospitals are being forced to make these changes to stay safe and maintain routine services. When the pandemic is over, we will have seen a decade of digital transformation take place.” Supporting those on the ground Giving vital support to the people on the frontlines who are tackling the virus head-on is one of the most immediate ways that healthtech has been helping. Healthtech unicorn and Future Fifty 8.0 cohort member Babylon’s 24/7 GP at Hand app and Covid-19 Care Assistant app, a symptom tracker, are providing much needed relief for the UK’s 111 services. “Right now we are seeing huge demand for our services and have been given contracts to serve 8% of the population of England with our digital first coronavirus Care Assistant. We are determined to help play our part across all our communities globally. As we are seeing through the course of this pandemic, while the burden of healthcare is global, the solutions have to be localised to meet the specific needs and culture of each country.” Dr Ali Parsa, founder and CEO of Babylon Microsoft UK has given all users of NHSmail in England and Scotland access to Teams, its workplace collaboration platform, for three months.They’ve also teamed up with Google, Palantir, AWS and Faculty to support NHSX and NHS England’s technical teams in developing a data platform that provides safe, secure, reliable and timely data. “Supporting the NHS and the UK’s healthcare system has never been more vital. We are proud to arm the most talented healthcare professionals in the world with safe, secure and robust technology solutions, empowering them to make the decisions required to deliver world-class care to those who need it.” Cindy Rose, CEO, Microsoft UK London-based Doctor Care Anywhere are giving free training for GPs in the UK to help them manage and conduct video consultations, and temporary staffing platforms Patchwork Health and OnCare have made their systems free for NHS Trusts, and care workers. Warrington’s Blue Prism has donated ‘robot workers’ to the NHS to help Trusts automate manual processes from hiring staff to increasing video patient consultations. Tackling the mental toll UK healthtech is also considering the mental health impact of the pandemic, with many NHS workers experiencing high levels of physical and emotional stress. Unmind, the British mental-health platform that empowers organisations and employees to measurably improve their mental wellbeing are offering free access to NHS staff. Meditation app Headspace is also providing its app for free to NHS staff. The app assists meditation and increases mindfulness. Big Health, another UK healthtech, is offering over 1 million NHS staff the Sleepio and Daylight apps free. Sleepio is a cognitive and behavioural app that aims to improve sleep – something that is so important to those on the frontline, and Daylight guides its users through issues of worry and anxiety.

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