ScubaTx, a Newcastle-based life sciences firm, has secured £1.4m in funding and opened a new office in Manchester.
- The funding round was led by GMC Life Sciences Fund By Praetura, building on the previous year’s success.
- The Manchester office aims to enhance organ transplant technology and connect with local life sciences expertise.
- The company’s organ preservation device uses ‘persufflation’ technology to extend the viability of donated organs.
- ScubaTx is poised for further growth with new staff focusing on various operational and engineering roles.
ScubaTx, a Newcastle University spinout, has taken significant strides by raising an impressive £1.4 million in its latest funding round, primarily led by the GMC Life Sciences Fund, managed by Praetura Ventures. This funding is set to propel the company’s efforts in advancing its innovative organ preservation technology, a journey that began with a substantial £1.5 million funding round the previous year.
The newly established Manchester office at Manchester Science Park is a strategic move to collaborate with the region’s extensive life sciences community. It currently houses 12 employees, six of whom are new hires committed to bolstering capabilities in operational areas, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and engineering disciplines, both mechanical and electrical, along with software development.
At the heart of ScubaTx’s technology is ‘persufflation’, a process which involves cooling organs with humidified gas and oxygenating tissues at meticulously controlled pressures and flow rates. This method, founded on robust scientific principles, ensures that donated organs remain viable for extended durations, enhancing the success rate of transplants.
CEO David Campbell envisions the Manchester base as a pivotal milestone in ScubaTx’s expansion, shifting from a virtual presence to a tangible footprint within the North. The company’s pre-clinical and basic scientific research will persist at its Newcastle location, while Manchester offers rich potential for leveraging local expertise and resources in life sciences innovation.
This initiative is not merely a regional venture; it holds global implications. Sim Singh-Landa of Praetura Ventures emphasised the international interest in ScubaTx’s groundbreaking organ preservation advancements, particularly from potential partners in the United States. Such innovations promise to significantly increase the number of viable organ transplants, potentially saving lives and alleviating pressure on healthcare systems by decreasing the waiting list burden.
ScubaTx’s Manchester expansion marks a pivotal development in enhancing organ transplant technology and fostering industry partnerships.
