Accelerated approaches to
innovation and entrepreneurship
in healthcare
Paul Thorning
Digital Health Enterprise Zone Seminar Series
12th May 2020
Aims of this presentation• To explore some dimensions of innovation, and specific
applications in a range of healthcare settings
• To convince you – if you are not convinced already – that it
is possible for anyone to become a successful start-up
healthcare entrepreneur
• To introduce you to our innovation and entrepreneurship
progammes at the University of Bradford
• To invite you to become ambassadors for this programme,
at home and overseas, to help develop and scout for
entrepreneurial talent
• To encourage you to have a go yourself at starting a new
business
• To outline support available (including of course, DHEZ)
Model 4 Ps of innovation (Source: Bessant & Tidd, 2013)
Accelerated health innovation
in challenging times
Necessity is the mother of invention
- Plato
Wuhan - 1,600 beds – 11 days
London - 5,000 beds – 9 days
Source: Wikimedia
Recombinant vesicular
stomatitis virus–Zaire Ebola
virus (rVSV-ZEBOV), also
known as Ebola Zaire
vaccine (Ervebo, Merck)
approved in record time…
…studies also pioneered
ring vaccination concept
and highlighted the
potential for herd
immunity
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/23-12-
2016-final-trial-results-confirm-ebola-vaccine-
provides-high-protection-against-disease
Source : On a path to accelerate access to Ebola vaccines: The WHO's research and
development efforts during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Henao-Restrepo AM et al. Current Opinion in Virology, 01 Apr 2016, 17:138-144
It’s not just what you know…
Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation
Radical health innovation
Drone-delivered
medical supplies The biggest
Big Data
A stem-cell
cure for
diabetes
A more
diverse
global
bio bank
A disruptive
approach
to cancer
researchA wristband
that can read
your mindAn ultrasound
in your pocket
Cancer-diagnosing
artificial intelligence
AI to
read every
science paper
Walmart-
ification of
healthcare
3-D digital
hearts
Rehab in
virtual reality
12 innovations that will
change health care and
medicine in the 2020s
Abstracted from Time
website 25th October 2019
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/maga
zine/2019/01/12-innovations-technology-
revolutionize-future-medicine/#/embark-
future-of-medicine-
mz3497_181008_01651.jpg
CRISPR – CAS(Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)
Source: Drug Target Review
Proteus Digital Health
Microchip pill approved
by FDA in 2012
- Microscopic submarine for
drug delivery and repairs
- 4 mm length by 0.65 mm Φ
- Magnetic powered
- microTEC (Germany)
- Self-assembling Nano-rockets for
drug delivery, repair, regeneration
- Four times larger than an HIV virus
- Platinum nanoparticles as motors
and hydrogen peroxide as fuel
- Radboud University, Nijmegen
- ‘Nano-swimmers‘ pushing drug micro-beads
- 200-300nm head with a 1-2 micron tail
- Steered and propelled by magnetic fields.
- Harvard
It’s in the blood…
• Genetically engineered malaria parasites that are stunted through
precise gene deletions (genetically attenuated parasites - "GAP")
• Harmless (attenuated) version of the parasite interacts with the body.
in the same way as the infective version, but without possibility of
causing disease.
• GAP-vaccination induces immune responses that protect against
future malaria infection.
First-in-human evaluation of
genetically attenuated
Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites
administered by bite of Anopheles
mosquitoes to adult volunteers.
Vaccine, 2013
“The Flying Syringe”
Accelerated health innovation
in challenging settings
Indian Journal of Pharmacology (2012): Comparison of safety and
efficacy of papaya dressing with hydrogen peroxide solution on
wound bed preparation in patients with wound gape
• Free healthy pregnancy and child health text messages in Swahili for expectant and
new mothers – who register interest by texting “MTOTO”
• Messages linked to the stage of development of the child
• In total, 55 million free text messages have been sent to Tanzanians since the project
began in 2012
Addressing malnutrition in
Kasulu District, Tanzania
• Moderate malnutrition in under-5s ~29%
(rising to 89% in some villages in some months)
• Severe malnutrition ~4%.
• Acute setting (local hospital)
– Intravenous rehydration
– Blood transfusion
– F75 and F100 formula milk
– ReSoMal
• Community setting
– Education, Education, Education…
– Exclusive breastfeeding, and during pregnancy
– Good weaning practice
– Power food, balanced diet (spinach, peanuts etc)
– Alternatives to formula milk
A changing approach
• Initial focus on treatment of malnourished
children within mission hospital
A changing approach
• New focus on travelling to villages with the
nutrition theatre group….
Health innovation through
re-purposing
A combination of norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and muscarinic blocker may
optimally modulate genioglossus muscle tone across sleep stages.
One-night randomized placebo-controlled double-blind crossover trial of a fixed dose
of a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor atomoxetine and an antimuscarinic drug
oxybutynin (named ato–oxy), in 20 patients with mild to moderate sleep apnoea.
Ato–oxy dramatically improved sleep apnoea compared with placebo. As a
result of treatment, the Apnoea/Hypopnoea Index (AHI) decreased, with events per
hour reducing from 28.5 to 7.5, accompanied by an increase in oxygen saturation.
In a subset of patients with AHI ≥ 10, AHI was lowered by 74%, and all patients
exhibited ≥50% reduction of AHI with significant improvement in sleep quality.
Notably, atomoxetine or oxybutynin alone did not reduce AHI
Pharmacotherapy of Obstructive
Sleep Apnea: Is Salvation Just
Around a Corner?
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine. Volume 199, Issue 10
Example: mSAS® advantage in inhaled medicines
Standard micronised Crystec mSAS® processed
68% of drugreaches thedeep lung
26% of drugreaches thedeep lung
Adverse Event Oxybutynin Tolterodine Darifenacin Solifenacin Trospium Fesoterodine
Dry mouth 29%-61% 23% 20.2%-35.3% 10.9%-27.6% 20.1% 19%-35%
Constipation 7%-13% 6% 14.8%-21.3% 5.4%-13.4% 9.6% 4%-6%
Urinary retention <5% No report No report 1.4% 1.2% 1%
Blurred vision 1%-8% 1% >1% 3.8%-4.8% >0.5% <1%
Drowsiness 2%-12% 3% 0.9%-2.1% 1%-2.1% 1.9% <1%
Source: Hesch, 2007
17% men and women with urge incontinence world-wide
60% seek treatment
27% receive treatment
59% unable to tolerate treatment
Source: Adapted from
Milsom et al, 2014 and
Gopal et al, 2008
Urge incontinence – a snapshot
Exposure modelling - extended release Tolterodine in man (EMs) vs. inhaled Tolterodine in rat (4 urges/interventions per day)Modelled from own data (single exposure) and Malhorta et al. (2011), Br J Clin Pharm. 72: 226
WakingPre-
lunchGetting home
SexWaking
Lunchmeeting
Key in the door
Sex
[Target]
4mg ER Clinical0.3mg/kg rat inhaled
Reduced side effects and a60% reduction in anticholinergic burden
A unique modality enabled by mSAS®
An on-demand regimen for urge incontinence
UK Sponsor
+
Chinese Provincial funding地方政府资金
Our open innovation model… 我们的开放式创新模式
Open
innovation
workshop
Ideas
思路+
Expertise
专门技术
Proof of
concept
projects
Collaboration
合作
New
Technology
New
Companies
Industry Academia
Academia Industry
Shared
Opportunity
机会共享
Health and
Pharmaceutical
Technology
Partners in economic growth
与经济增长引擎区合作
• Five-day workshops
– Briefing > Group speed dating > Ideation > Project Selection
• 10 workshops held to date, 25 projects, RMB 60m of funding
– Drug Delivery
– Biomedical Materials and Repair
– Medical Diagnostics
– Cancer Technologies
– Enhanced Cancer Therapeutics
– Metabolic Disease and Cancer Drug Delivery
– Connected Health for Healthy Ageing
– Point of Care Diagnostics
– Diagnostic systems
– Technologies for Wellness and Healthy Ageing
UK-China Healthtech Open Innovation
An international healthcare technology innovation network
国际化医疗技术创新网络
Interacting with elderly people through their TV screen
通过电视屏幕与老人进行交流
Maintaining organ viability for transplant for up to 3X longer
相对于当前的方法,此技术可延长待移植器官活性3倍的时间
“The result of these four week clinical
trials highlighted that back pain levels
are significantly reduced following
standardised care alongside the
intervention and use of the
LumbaCurve LC3 device.”
Accelerated Global Entrepreneurship
Development and Social enterprise
UK-China Open Innovation
Triple Crown Business SchoolBright Building
Digital Health Enterprise Zone
Prototyping accelerator A $200m spin-out
“The highest-ranking university in the north
was the University of Bradford, one in eight
(12.14%) of their students start their own
company or work in senior managerial
roles upon finishing their degree.”
This would be great…
…but this is also our goal!
我知道如果我失败了,我不会后悔;我也知道如果我没有尝试,我一定会后悔。
Bradford Accelerated Global Entrepreneurship Programme
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
Start-up and Innovator
EntrepreneurProgramme
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
12 Bradford (Home and International) and 12 Chinese students
1. UK-China
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
24 Bradford-based Home and International students
2. Bradford
Any
Pre-graduationPre-arrival, with
partner universities
Taster Sessions and BSc to MSc
Entrepreneur Programme
Post-graduation
Training, networking, access to funding, virtual incubation, enterprise centre support
3. Graduate
Accelerated Student Entrepreneurship Programme
Bradford Accelerated Global Entrepreneurship Programme
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
Start-up and Innovator
EntrepreneurProgramme
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
12 Bradford (Home and International) and 12 Chinese students
1. UK-China
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
24 Bradford-based Home and International students
2. Bradford
Any
Pre-graduationPre-arrival, with
partner universities
Taster Sessions and BSc to MSc
Entrepreneur Programme
Post-graduation
Training, networking, access to funding, virtual incubation, enterprise centre support
3. Graduate
From idea to funded enterprise in 4 months
Briefing and awareness
raisingSelection
WORKSHOP 1 Speed
networking and ideas
Enterprise support
WORKSHOP 2Business
planning and pitching
Dragon’s Den
Business and social
enterprise concepts
MentoringPreliminary
business plans
Seed funding and
Incubation
Networking events
24 students
Enterprise support company
Workshop Week 1
Workshop Week 2
Graduate (Start-up/Innovator) Entrepreneur Programme
Bradford Accelerated Global Entrepreneurship Programme
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
Start-up and Innovator
EntrepreneurProgramme
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
12 Bradford (Home and International) and 12 Chinese students
1. UK-China
WORKSHOP 1Meet and
agree to form enterprise
Enterprise Mentoring
WORKSHOP 2 Enterprise
boot camp &dragon’s den
24 Bradford-based Home and International students
2. Bradford
Any
Pre-graduationPre-arrival, with
partner universities
Taster Sessions and BSc to MSc
Entrepreneur Programme
Post-graduation
Training, networking, access to funding, virtual incubation, enterprise centre support
3. Graduate
UK Entrepreneur visa support
1. Start-up visa (2 years)2. Innovator visa (3 years)3. Settlement
Bradford is the first University to be authorised by the Home Office to endorse visas in all three categories
“a genuine and credible business idea”
NEWINNOVATIVE
VIABLESCALABLE
Graduate Entrepreneur (Tier 1/Start-up visa)programme design
ActionLearning
Supported Learning
Expert sessions
Requested meeting
Mentoring Coaching
University of Bradford ASEP
Coming soon…
University of Bradford ASEP
ACCELERATED
STAFF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
PROGRAMME
Coming soon…
Please let us know if you are interested
Thank you for your interest
The most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want,
on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.