Imperial College Spinout Addressing UK Transplant Organ Shortage
A spin-out from Imperial College, Accunea has developed vital organ transplant technology that will make available more organs for transplant and reduce the numbers of deaths due to increasing waiting list times.
Every year around 65,000 people across the world, including 27,000 in Europe, will have their lives improved by a kidney transplant. Sadly, hundreds of UK patients die on the waiting list each year in, as a large percentage of organs are discarded due to criteria decided decades ago.
In fact, 245 patients died on the UK waiting list in 2017/18, while 268 donated kidneys were discarded. Evidence shows half of these were likely viable but there are no objective means to assess them pre-operatively.
Accunea’s patented technology addresses this disparity and stands out as the only player with a real time monitoring system for organ function.
Their miniature analysis device, RenoSure, continuously monitors markers of kidney function and metabolism, using just a standard drip line placed into a vein. From these chemical traces, the device uses artificial intelligence to detect and predict any changes in a patient's kidney function, earlier than ever before, and automatically warn doctors of any problems.
As the device can also check the quality of a transplant kidney before it gets transplanted, surgeons know they are giving their patients the best possible chance at a new lease of life.
Testing the function and metabolism of a kidney before transplant will reduce the hundreds of donated kidneys which are discarded because of a statistical risk of poor function.
Accunea has established contact with the internationally recognised renal centres in the Hammersmith Hospital and Guys and St Thomas, London UK, with a collaboration agreement already in place with Imperial.
The problem Accunea is addressing is global and will only compound with the rise in the ageing population and the shortage of organs. RenoSure has already been proven in animal models and is now ready for clinical trials. Other products are in the pipeline such as for Liver, Cardiac, Small Bowel.
Accunea is currently crowdfunding through leading UK investment platform Shadow Foundr, with the campaign already at around 60% of the funding target.
More information can be found on: https://www.shadowfoundr.com/investments/640/accunea/.
Notes to Editor:
For more information about Accunea, visit www.accunea.com
For more information on Accunea's funding campaign, visit www.shadowfoundr.com
Nick Housby – CEO Accunea; Ph: 07949 244120; Email: nickhousby@accunea.com
Jason Kluver – COO Shadow Foundr; Ph: 01273 789430; Email: jason@shadowfoundr.com