Dynamic Therapeutics, a spin-out from the University of Bristol, has been awarded a Blavatnik Prize from venture capital firm QantX, for its pioneering U-RHYTHM technology, which can capture up to 72 samples over 24 hours with data on hormone production.
The U-RHYTHM technology measures the patterns of biologically active molecules in the tissues and identifies how they change over time. The data generated can then be analysed to identify potential disruptions which could impact health. Importantly it can also detect these disruptions at the earliest stage.
Conventional techniques for diagnosing and managing hormone-related disorders can be complicated. Typically, hormone levels vary greatly across the day and in individual patients, and traditionally a single measurement would usually be taken in the morning.
The goal of Dynamic Therapeutics is to become the gold standard for time-based measurement of hormones to improve accuracy of diagnoses and treatment for patients with conditions like Type 1 diabetes and hypertension.
The technology has a range of potential uses including: more accurate time-based monitoring of fertility levels; monitoring metabolites and infection in post-operative care; monitoring drug concentration levels and effectiveness in drug development; and an an alternative to blood sampling in neonates and young children.
Richard Haycock, CEO at QantX, said: “We know more than ever about the workings of the human body and yet the diagnosis and treatment of many conditions remain challenging, particularly those caused by hormonal imbalances which vary with time.
“Whilst clinicians rely on single point-in-time tests such as blood and urine, the U-RHYTHM device has the potential to capture dynamic information about a patient’s health and improve diagnosis. We’re excited to support the Dynamic Therapeutics team with a Blavatnik Prize for Innovation and help them deliver a low-cost, non-invasive solution.”
Professor Stafford Lightman, co-founder of Dynamic Therapeutics, said: “Our trials are already showing significant interest among customers for U-RHYTHM and we are looking to rapidly expand our work with research institutions as we look to commercialise the technology in the next year.”
Dynamic Therapeutics is now planning further trials of the technology working with research institutions around the world.
It has previously been reviewed in a paper published in Science Translational Medicine, where it was suggested it had “abundant clinical applications for established endocrine disorders, seeding opportunities to redefine disease states by their abnormality, their temporality and target tissue responsiveness to hormones”.