QV Bioelectronics has secured a substantial funding boost of £1.26 million from Innovate UK's Biomedical Catalyst programme to advance its innovative brain tumor treatment device toward clinical trials. The funding represents a significant milestone for the company's GRACE device, which aims to deliver targeted electric field therapy directly to brain tumor sites.
Novel Electric Field Therapy Approach
GRACE – Glioma Resection Advanced Cavity Electric Field Therapy – is a surgically implanted device designed to deliver electric field therapy directly to the tumor margins. This approach seeks to disrupt cancer cell division whilst preserving healthy tissue, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and enhancing quality of life.
The device represents a novel approach to treating gliomas, one of the most challenging forms of brain cancer. By delivering therapy directly to the tumor site through surgical implantation, GRACE aims to maximize therapeutic impact while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy brain tissue.
Accelerator Programme Success
QV Bioelectronics participated in the inaugural application round of the Brain Tumour Research – Novel Therapeutics Accelerator (BTR-NTA) programme. In November 2023, the QV team applied to participate in the BTR-NTA review programme, seeking guidance on how to better position their device on a successful path to clinical trials.
Through the BTR-NTA programme, research groups that have a new therapeutic, device or idea for brain tumour treatment can apply to have their research robustly reviewed by academic, clinical, patient and industry experts. The programme provided QV with crucial feedback on manufacturing and attracting funders, alongside expert guidance on the next steps for preclinical safety and efficacy, and the design of the first in-human trial.
Preparing for Human Trials
The £1.26 million funding boost received by QV is specifically aimed at preparing for the first in-human trial of the GRACE device. This represents a critical step in the device's development pathway, moving from preclinical research toward patient testing.
Dr Karen Noble, Director of Research, Policy and Innovation at Brain Tumour Research, commented on the development: "We are glad to see the progress made by GRACE and the support from the Biomedical Catalyst programme. This demonstrates a tangible impact of the BTR-NTA programme, and we look forward to seeing how this technology continues to develop and translates to patients."
Bridging the Research Gap
The BTR-NTA programme is funded by Brain Tumour Research and delivered in partnership with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission (TJBCM). The programme is designed to provide expert advice to research groups, facilitating the progression of therapeutics into human trials and bridging the 'Valley of Death' in the research pipeline.
This 'Valley of Death' refers to the challenging transition period between promising laboratory research and successful clinical implementation, where many potentially valuable treatments fail to progress due to funding gaps, regulatory hurdles, or technical challenges. The success of QV Bioelectronics in securing this substantial funding demonstrates the programme's effectiveness in supporting innovative brain tumor treatments through this critical phase.
