The University of Nottingham spin-out company Cerca Magnetics Limited (Cerca) was formed in partnership with UK company Magnetic Shields Limited (MSL) to bring the world’s most advanced functional brain scanner to market.

The Cerca Scanner is the world’s first “wearable” magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, allowing patients to move freely during the scan and offering unprecedented insights on brain development and function and severe neurological illnesses, such as epilepsy.

Conventional MEG scanners are static and cumbersome in order to accommodate super-cooled magnetic field detectors, which are hard to operate close to the head. It cannot adapt to different head shapes and sizes and patients must remain still for long periods.

The Cerca system uses quantum sensors called optically pumped magnetometers or OPMs that do not require cryogenic cooling. These sensors are also lightweight and similar in size to a Lego brick, which means they can be mounted in a helmet which the patient wears. The helmet can ostensibly adapt to any head shape or size, and because it is lightweight and moves with the head, it is largely insensitive to motion. No thermally insulating gap between scalp and sensor is required, allowing the sensors closer to the head to capture higher amplitude signal and better data.

The scanner opens up exciting possibilities for imaging babies and children. Neurological disorders, like epilepsy, often strike in young children and this new system will provide new information to medical professionals which they can use in treatment planning.

The University of Nottingham research team is led by Professor Matt Brookes and Professor Richard Bowtell of the School of Physics and Astronomy and is based in the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre.

The company

The company predicts it will employ 30 – 50 full time staff by 2025, with at least 85% being highly skilled and/or professionally qualified. The company is forecasting three full-time and four part-time staff by the end of 2021, all highly skilled physicists, engineers or other qualified professionals. 

The Cerca leadership team is CEO David Woolger, Chief Technical Officer Dr Elena Boto and Chairman, Professor Matt Brookes. Both Matt and Elena are from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Nottingham.

Manufacturing/production

The Cerca system’s very low field magnetic environment is produced for Cerca by Magnetic Shield Limited (MSL). All of MSL’s manufacturing is within the UK. As a direct result of Cerca’s demand, MSL estimate an additional 20+ skilled manufacturing and engineering roles will be required.  A specialised helmet required for the Cerca system is produced by another University of Nottingham spin-out, Added Scientific Limited. The final key element of the system is the sensors; these are produced in the USA by QuSpin Inc. – a world leader in quantum sensing.

Economic activity

Cerca currently has eight orders for research equipment from five institutions, based in Canada, USA and UK.  The orders amount to £1.5m of sales, the majority of this is to be delivered in 2021. Cerca also has a pipeline of £92m of open quotations to some of the leading neurological research centres in the world.

Future strategy

Whilst Cerca’s initial focus is on brain imaging, the overall strategy is to develop a bio-magnetic imaging company.  As the use of the sensors is developed in other fields, such as foetal, heart and muscular, Cerca will look to work with clinical experts across the world to validate and translate the technology to the clinical market. As Cerca develops the technology, the company will support centres of excellence, hospitals and NHS Trusts within the region.

The research and funding journey

In 2015, The UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP) funded a single research assistant at the university’s Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre to investigate what would happen if, by eliminating cryogenics, MEG sensors moved closer to the scalp.

By 2016, results showed that scalp mounted sensors would afford a five-fold increase in sensitivity, and a dramatic improvement in spatial resolution.

Following these early theoretical insights, using internal funding to encourage interdisciplinary research into quantum technology, the Nottingham team purchased the world’s first miniaturised commercial OPM from the newly formed USA spin-out company QuSpin Inc. This was used to measure magnetic fields from a human brain.

In 2017, the pilot data generated by the Nottingham team using the single sensor was sufficient to secure a £1.6m Wellcome collaboration grant that allowed Nottingham to share expertise with neuroscientists at University College London , building a prototype wearable OPM-based MEG system – the world’s first wearable MEG system.

Critical to building a wearable and motion robust MEG system is accurate control of background field. To enable this, NQTP (EPSRC) funding supported the building of a new type of hybrid shielded room and Nottingham researchers went on to work with established partner Magnetic Shields Limited to develop lighter enclosures for the scanner with unprecedented shielding.

This project was supported by a £900,000 grant from Innovate UK in 2019, and resulted in a novel magnetically controlled environment, installed at the Neville Childhood Epilepsy Centre operated by Young Epilepsy.

In December 2019, further NQTP funding of £2.3m for work on shielding and MEG sensor arrays moved the system towards commercialisation, and recently (May 2021) secured funding from EPSRC and Innovate UK funding (£1.1m and £50K respectively) will further develop the system for infants.

Spin-out company, Cerca Magnetics Limited (Cerca) was launched in December 2020.

The first OPM-MEG clinical trials, funded by the Wolfson Institute, will be conducted in autumn 2021 by Young Epilepsy, in collaboration with clinicians at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Researchers have been awarded almost £1m to use a wearable brain scanner to help pinpoint the source of epileptic seizures in children.

Professor Matthew Brookes and his team at the University of Nottingham will work alongside partners at UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Young Epilepsy. This team are already working to develop a system for young adults and older children. The new funding will support further development of this helmet-like brain imaging device, to measure electrical brain activity non-invasively in children as young as one year old. Having developed the system for healthy children, they will deploy it in infants with epilepsy.

This new type of brain scanner, which employs quantum enabled sensors to measure magnetic fields above the scalp (a process termed magnetoencepaholography (MEG)) could help to pinpoint the source of epileptic seizures in the brain, offering new information which will be extremely useful to neurosurgeons.

The project is supported through a £900,000 Healthcare Impact Partnership grant and is among 20 innovative projects announced to revolutionise healthcare and improve treatments for millions of people with a wide range of conditions, and save the NHS money.

The projects are supported by £30.8 million of funding by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Four projects were co-funded by UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC).

“There is excellent evidence that a MEG scan can help improve outcomes, post surgery, for adults with epilepsy, but the current generation of MEG instrumentation has limited spatial precision and is very difficult to deploy in infants. We believe our new quantum enabled device will offer significantly better spatial precision, and will be adaptable to infants as young as 1 year old. This could prove hugely valuable for assessment of patients suffering with this debilitating disorder.” Professor Matthew Brookes who leads the MEG research at the University of Nottingham.

EPSRC Executive Chair Professor Dame Lynn Gladden said: “Technologies and approaches pioneered by UK researchers have the potential to revolutionise treatment for a wide range of conditions, from bowel cancer to diabetes. The projects announced exemplify this potential and may play a key role in improving the lives of millions of people.”

The funded projects include:

• Two EPSRC programme grants – Terabotics and Beyond Antibiotics – funded with a £14.5 million investment
• Four projects funded by EPSRC and MRC through sandpit grants for novel digital technologies for improved self-monitoring and health management, with an investment of £1.6 million
• Seven Healthcare Impact Partnerships funded with a £7 million EPSRC investment. This call supports novel mathematical, engineering, ICT and physical sciences research that is aligned to the Healthcare Technologies theme strategy and contributes to at least one of the Healthcare Technologies Grand Challenges
• Seven NetworkPlus grants funded with a £5.7 million investment. The grants aim to support research communities that address our priorities for transforming healthcare including: 
  • technologies to improve healthcare treatment;
  • affordable and inclusive healthcare solutions
  • healthier environments
  • new digital healthcare systems.

Visit https://www.cercamagnetics.com/ for more information about this project.

Exonate Ltd, a spin-out company of the University of Nottingham, has begun a major clinical trial in its quest to develop a revolutionary new treatment for retinal vascular disease.

Exonate have announced today, that in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. – one of companies of Johnson & Johnson, the first patient has been dosed with Exonate’s lead compound, EXN 407, in a Phase Ib/II clinical trial of patient volunteers with centre-involved diabetic macular oedema (CI-DMO).

Exonate Ltd was ‘spun out’ of the University of Nottingham in 2013 by University of Nottingham academics, Professors David Bates and Lucy Donaldson, with Professor Steven Harper from the University of Bristol and Professor Jonathan Morris from the University of New South Wales.

Dr Catherine Beech, Chief Executive Officer of Exonate, said: “The initiation of our first clinical trial is an important step in the validation of our eye drop approach. This is a unique opportunity to create a drug that may have the potential to improve the treatment of patients with retinal vascular diseases, and transform the lives of those suffering from vision loss. The collaboration with Janssen has been incredibly positive and together, we have designed a study that we believe will deliver meaningful results.”

It is a credit to many people that this complex and potentially game-changing therapy has reached first-in-human studies. This has been an immense team-effort from the original lab discovery work at the Universities of Bristol, New South Wales and Nottingham to the development of the pre-clinical and clinical programmes by the Exonate team, our contractors and collaborators. We look forward to learning the study results in due course.”Professor David Bates, Scientific Founder and CSO, from the University of Nottingham

By exploiting the alternative splicing of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Exonate has developed small-molecules for the treatment of retinal neovascular diseases. EXN 407 inhibits serine/arginine-protein kinase 1 (SRPK1), which enables production of the form of VEGF that stimulates blood vessel formation. CI-DMO is caused by growth of blood vessels into the retina and current treatment options for CI-DMO and other retinal diseases require regular injections into the eyeball. EXN 407 has been designed to reach the retina when given as eye drops and represents a shift in the potential treatment of retinal vascular eye disease away from injections. Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated an effect on neovascularisation and retinal vascular permeability induced by diabetes, without any significant tolerability or safety issues.

The double-blind, randomised multicentre trial of 48 patients is being conducted at retinal centres across Australia. The trial consists of a dose escalation phase during which three doses of EXN 407 and a placebo are tested, followed by an expansion phase with a larger cohort of patient volunteers and a longer drug dosing period. The study aims to demonstrate safety and tolerability and an exploratory end point of efficacy through reduction in retinal thickness in a proportion of patients.

To date, Australia has managed the COVID-19 pandemic such that no major delays are expected in patient recruitment and we anticipate topline results in early 2022.

DMO is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetic retinopathy and affects approximately 21 million people worldwide. DMO is a build-up of fluid in a region of the retina called the macula and is associated with an increase in retinal thickness due to leakage of fluid and plasma proteins from retinal vessels, which leads to central vision loss. Although DMO is more likely to occur as diabetic retinopathy worsens, it can happen at any stage of the disease.

A new type of wearable brain scanner, designed to allow people to move freely whilst being scanned, is a step closer to being used in hospitals with the launch of a new partnership.

The University of Nottingham has partnered with Kent based company Magnetic Shields Limited (MSL) to launch a new spin-out company, Cerca Magnetics Limited (Cerca) to bring the world’s most advanced functional brain scanner to market. The Cerca Scanner will offer an unprecedented window on brain function and give new hope to people suffering with severe neurological illnesses, like epilepsy.

Researchers in the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre and School of Physics and Astronomy, have been developing the technology for the wearable brain scanner for the past 5 years, in collaboration with neuroscientists at University College London. Their research, funded by the UK Quantum Technologies Programme, Innovate UK, and Wellcome, has demonstrated the ability to create images of the brain with millimetre accuracy, even when the person being scanned is moving. This opens up new possibilities for imaging babies and children.

This new wearable scanner is based on a technique called magnetoencephalography (MEG), in which the tiny magnetic fields generated by electrical current flow in brain cells are measured. Mathematical reconstruction of those fields generates images showing moment-to-moment changes in brain activity. These unique pictures can tell us how our brains respond when we perform a mental task, and more importantly, how things begin to go wrong in neurological or mental health problems.

Whilst other MEG scanners exist, the Cerca System is unique since it is the only “wearable” MEG system allowing patients to move freely during the scan. It also uniquely adapts to different head sizes, making it possible to scan adults, or babies, using the same system. It offers considerably higher sensitivity and spatial specificity compared to the best existing systems and all of this can be achieved at lower cost.

Dr. Elena Boto, University of Nottingham scientist and chief technology officer for Cerca, said: “5 years ago, we started with a few equations on the back of an envelope, and a few lines of computer code to simulate a system. To have seen this mature into a commercialisable imaging system, which can outperform anything available currently, has been remarkable. There are many advantages to our system but for me the biggest is the ability to scan babies and children. Neurological disorders, like epilepsy, often strike in young children and this new system will provide new information to medical professionals which they can use in treatment planning.”

The perfect partnership

Because the magnetic fields from the brain are so small, the scanner needs to sit in a well-controlled magnetic field environment. MSL are the world leaders in magnetic shielding and had already been working with University of Nottingham scientists to develop magnetically-shielded enclosures into which the scanner (and other magnetically-sensitive devices) can be installed. The new partnership now takes this one step further, with Cerca selling the complete integrated brain imaging system.

David Woolger, CEO of Cerca said: “The commercial opportunity is extremely exciting. The system that has been developed in Nottingham is remarkable, but its real impact will only be realised if the technology can be spread around the world. Cerca are already working with some of the world’s best research laboratories to deliver our first generation of system for deployment in the field. We hope and believe that within 3-5 years, we can see the technology becoming commonplace in hospitals.”

Quantum technology

Conventional MEG scanners are based on magnetic field detectors that must be cooled to -269 degrees celsius in order to operate. Consequently they are extremely large and cumbersome; the need for thermal insulation means it is hard to get ‘supercooled’ sensors close to the head (reducing sensitivity and spatial accuracy), and because the sensors must be static, the system cant adapt to different head shapes and sizes and patients must remain still for very long periods. These systems are also extremely expensive. 

The new system is based upon recently developed “quantum” sensors, which use the fundamental properties of atoms to sense local magnetic fields. These new sensors, called optically-pumped magnetometers or OPMs, do not require cryogenic cooling. They are also extremely small and lightweight (similar in size to a Lego brick). This means they can be mounted in a helmet which the patient wears. The helmet can adapt to any head shape or size, and because it is lightweight and moves with the head, it is completely insensitive to motion. In addition, because no thermally insulating gap between scalp and sensor is required, the sensors get closer to the head and therefore capture a higher amplitude signal, consequently gaining better data.

Professor Matt Brookes, who leads MEG research in Nottingham, said: “The combination of quantum technology and novel magnetic shielding has offered something completely unique – a wearable brain scanner that lifts the restrictions surrounding conventional imaging systems of this type. The Cerca System will provide an extremely advanced device for neuroscientific experimentation. More importantly it will enable a new way to investigate myriad brain health conditions. Understanding the human brain and the many severe and debilitating conditions that affect it is one of the biggest challenges for 21^st century science. This new technology will provide one of the platforms from which scientists and clinicians can begin to meet that challenge.”

Support for the creation of Cerca has been provided by Nottingham Technology Ventures with seed funding from the University of Nottingham alongside MSL. The underlying research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council through the Quantum Technology Hub for Sensing and Timing; part of the £1bn UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. Research has also been funded by Innovate UK and by a Wellcome Trust Collaboration in Science grant awarded jointly to the University of Nottingham and partners at University College London.

Nottingham experts who designed new eyesight-saving technology are to launch more products which could speed up treatment while reducing the impact on hospital waiting lists and patient visits following COVID-19 restrictions.

NuVision which is based at MediCity, Nottingham, has developed the designs from human amniotic membrane donated from caesarean sections. One membrane can potentially save up to 200 peoples’ eyesight and the products can also be used to save animals’ eyesight.

In September, NuVision will launch Omnigen C, for use together with OmniLenz, a bespoke contact lens for the in-clinic application of amnion. This procedure takes just five minutes and will help medics treat ocular surface diseases immediately.

Ophthalmology consultant Mayank Nanavaty from Sussex Eye Hospital, Brighton, said: “Omnigen can be used to protect and help restore peoples’ eyesight, it can help with any inflammation and it’s as quick as a contact lens fittings. Omnigen can be used in ‘walk-in’ or ambulatory patients and its use can avoid the need for surgery for certain conditions”

In a post-COVID world, NuVision wanted to create something to speed up health procedures, as well as reduce the need for consultation, visits or scheduled surgery time, while improving outcomes for patients.

It can be used for chemical or thermal burns, new or long-term ocular defects, dry eye disease and ocular inflammation.

Omnigen helps NHS and veterinary ophthalmologists who treat damaged corneas with an immediately accessible, consistent high quality and reliable product.

NuVision is one of 23 spin-out companies supported by Nottingham Technology Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Nottingham and is based in the Ingenuity Centre at the University’s Innovation Park.

Dr Andy Naylor, the CEO of NTV, said: “NuVision is driving innovation in the field of biotherapies and is a superb example of the of the University’s spin-out portfolio.

“Health research remains an important priority for the University and it is very exciting to see NuVision deliver technology to market underpinned by University intellectual property.

“The amnion products can be life changing for many people, and transformational for clinicians and lessen the burden on patient waiting lists.”

Locate Bio, who are developing new treatments for patients with serious spinal conditions, has completed a £2.25m funding round led by Mercia Asset Management to help to continue its ground-breaking research and bring its first products to market.

Locate Bio has secured the investment from Mercia’s own balance sheet, its EIS fund and the MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, and the Future Fund.  Together with earlier funding rounds from Mercia and MEIF, it brings the total raised by the company to over £8m.

Locate Bio’s first product, which is at the pre-clinical development stage, will help patients who require spinal fusion surgery, where bones are permanently joined together to overcome low back pain. It uses a type of bone protein to remove the need for a bone graft. Its second therapy will be for the biological renewal of the intervertebral discs and will help those suffering from degenerative disc disease, a painful condition affecting 33 million people in the US and EU.

Locate Bio is a spin-out from the University of Nottingham and based on the research of Professor Kevin Shakesheff, a world-leading expert in regenerative medicine. The company, which initially started out as a contract research organisation, first received investment from Mercia in 2018.

John von Benecke, CEO of Locate, said: “I am delighted by the continued support of our lead investor. This investment will allow us to maintain the excellent progress with our lead product and further the development of a pipeline of synergistic products.”

Dr Ian Wilding, Chairman of Locate said: “This investment comes at an important time for the Company as it enters an exciting phase. Despite the uncertainty and disruption that COVID-19 has brought to so many industries, the Locate team have relentlessly executed against its aggressive timelines and the additional funding announced today is a welcome validation of the progress that has been made.”

Peter Dines, Chief Operating Officer of Mercia, said: “We are very pleased to continue to support John and the team at Locate. Their lead product has the potential to disrupt a $3bn market, and we remain excited by the prospect of helping to build a world-leading business.”

Ken Cooper Managing Director, British Business Bank, added: “We are pleased that the MEIF Proof of Concept fund has been able to support further investment into Locate Bio.  Along with the bank’s other programmes the MEIF funds are investing to support SMEs in the region and are still very much open for business. This second round of funding recognises a business which has continued to make good progress despite the difficulties caused by Covid 19.”

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union using funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 and the European Investment Bank.

Spin-out company continues to develop world-leading expertise in early cancer detection

The University has realised more than £1.5m from the sale of shares in Oncimmune Holdings plc, which was founded in 2002 as a spin-out to commercialise a blood test for the early detection of cancer.

The sale of shares by the University – in line with its policy to release investment in spin-outs to fund education and further world-class innovation at Nottingham – brings the total realised from Oncimmune to more than £7m.

Dr Andrew Naylor, CEO of Nottingham Technology Ventures, which manages the University’s spin-out portfolio, said: “It is immensely gratifying to see a spin-out company continue to develop and commercialise technology to save lives, benefit society and generate real impact.

“Oncimmune has delivered a significant return on investment for the University and is an excellent example of how spin-out companies can flourish with good financial and commercial support.”

Dynamic life sciences companies and research institutions have a vital role in securing a high-skill economy, as well helping power recovery and growth after the coronavirus.Dr Andrew Naylor, CEO of Nottingham Technology Ventures

Oncimmune launched its platform diagnostic technology in 2009, followed by its first commercial tests of EarlyCDT Lung and EarlyCDT Liver. The key to improving cancer survival is early detection and better selection for therapy and Oncimmune’s immunodiagnostic tests can detect and help identify cancer on average four years earlier than standard clinical diagnosis.

To date, over 200,000 tests have been performed for patients worldwide. EarlyCDT Lung, pioneered by a team from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, is also used in what is believed to be the largest randomised controlled trial for the early detection of lung cancer using biomarkers, the successful NHS Early detection of Cancer of the Lung Scotland (ECLS) trial of 12,209 high-risk smokers. This trial demonstrated that EarlyCDT Lung reduced the incidence of patients with late-stage lung cancer or unclassified presentation at diagnosis, compared to standard clinical practice.

The University’s equity in Oncimmune was acquired through an initial shareholding at formation of the spin-out. The University continued to support the company with further investment prior to a listing on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange in May 2016.

“Our ties with the University, from the pioneering work in the early detection of cancer in research labs, through initial and subsequent investment in Oncimmune has supported our continuing development. We’re proud that the application of world-leading research here in Nottingham will be the cornerstone of advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.” Dr Adam Hill, CEO of Oncimmune

The University retains an interest in Oncimmune, which is part of a 22-strong portfolio of spin-outs.

Nottingham Technology Ventures has helped generated multi-million pound exits from the University’s spin-out portfolio in three of the last four financial years.  In 2018, Nottingham was ranked second among UK research institutions for the amount generated from the sale of

shares in spin-outs, delivering more than £11.5m, and the University is regarded as among the best in the UK for sharing knowledge.

Exonate Ltd announces collaboration with Janssen to develop a new eye drop for the treatment of retinal vascular diseases including wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular oedema (DMO)

The program, facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, has the potential to improve the treatment of patients with retinal vascular diseases and transform the lives of those suffering from vision loss.

Cambridge, UK, 13 January, 2020 –  Exonate, an early stage biotechnology company, announced today that it has entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. Through the collaboration, Exonate will work with Janssen Research & Development, LLC scientists to develop an eye drop treatment for retinal vascular diseases such as wet AMD and DMO by using mRNA targeted therapies. Exonate has developed small molecules that inhibit the production of pro-angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) through the selective inhibition of serine/threonine-protein kinase (SRPK1)-mediated VEGF splicing. The agreement was facilitated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr. Catherine Beech CEO of Exonate, said: “I am absolutely delighted to enter this strategic collaboration with Janssen, we are looking forward to successfully developing a novel treatment for retinal neovascular diseases”.