nanoTherics, a scientific medical research devices company founded in 2007 following on from cutting-edge biomedical research conducted at Keele University and the University of Florida, is delighted to announce it has been awarded a Research & Development (R&D) Grant from the regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM). The grant will enable the Company to progress development of additional novel gene transfection technologies to augment the Company’s existing product portfolio which already offers significant advantages over other methodologies on the market. nanoTherics’s primary business is supply of improved scientific devices and associated products to research laboratories in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries as well as academia. The Company’s products apply a patent-pending technology using nanoparticles and magnetic fields to facilitate enhanced delivery of biomolecules, such as DNA, into living cells. The medium to long-term opportunity for this approach relates to more effective non-viral gene therapy, an area demanding safer technology to treat genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
Dr Linda Cammish, Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are very pleased to have been successful in obtaining this grant which provides further external validation of the value of the systems we are developing to offer improvements in transfection technologies to researchers in the growing life science sector. The due diligence that is part of the application process and the rigorous nature of the AWM grant conditions means that our success is a fantastic endorsement”. She added, “The grant will enable us to ensure our technologies will continue to offer improvements and significant advantages to end-users of our systems. We aim to introduce a range of products which will shortly be initiated with the launch of the magnefect-nano, a flexible device which provides up to 1000-fold better transfection efficiency than cationic lipid agents for short transfection times.”
Steve Hines, from the Access to Finance team at AWM, said: “Grants for R&D allow AWM to share some of the risks of R&D activity in SME companies, bringing forward innovative products and services which are key to the successful economic future of the region. Companies like nanoTherics recognise R&D as essential to their economic growth and we are delighted to support this project which will provide a significant advance in technology.” He added, “We aim to make a difference by encouraging commitment to innovation through our grants which enables work to be done earlier than some companies could otherwise perhaps afford, often helping to leverage in external finance into early stage enterprises. Boosting innovation is also a way of addressing the West Midlands economic output. We’re proud to be supporting innovative firms in the region, such as nanoTherics, and believe innovation is a great way of driving the economy as well as improving quality of life.”
About nanoTherics
nanoTherics Ltd was formed in August 2007 to exploit a novel gene transfection technology arising from biomedical research conducted at Keele University and the University of Florida. The patented technology uses nanoparticles and magnetic fields to facilitate improved delivery of foreign molecules, including DNA, into living cells. nanoTheric’s gene transfection studies have shown significant performance enhancement over the best non-viral techniques currently on the market, demonstrating high levels of transfection whilst maintaining viability of transfected cells. These key attributes afford a significant competitive advantage over currently available systems. nanoTherics’s mission is to position its novel gene transfection technology as the new “gold standard” for transfection, underpinning research and development of current and future gene therapy programmes.
For more information go to www.nanotherics.com Contact: Dr Linda Cammish, CEO: email: linda@nanotherics.com; Tel: 07981 112968
About Advantage West Midlands Advantage West Midlands is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England whose role is to provide leadership and action to create more, better jobs and an improved quality of life for all in the West Midlands. Grant for Research and Development is a long-established BERR business support product available to SME companies and individuals developing a technologically innovative product or service. It is available across the whole region and applications to Advantage West Midlands can be accepted at any time.
For more information go to www.advantagewm.co.uk/grd
