Chemotherapy patients who develop a fever or feel unwell are advised to rush to A&E, as there is a risk of a potentially fatal side effect, neutropenic sepsis. This must be treated as a medical emergency, yet one in two patients is subsequently found never to have been at risk. Unfortunately, currently, the only way to know the risk is to receive antibiotics and undergo a full blood test at the hospital.
52North’s Neutrocheck® solution will enable patients to test at home so that they can be safely triaged, either to stay home if not at risk, or to be prioritised for emergency treatment if they are.
Umiama Ahmad, one of the co-founders and Chief Executive Officer, has a very broad role, with oversight on all areas. She finds the challenges of being a CEO uniquely demanding, particularly as the company grows and the balance of the role flips between strategy and execution.
The professional development opportunities provided by the Shott Scale Up Accelerator will support her to manage the changing organisation as they scale to their next stage. This will involve going from a dozen to over 20 people; from research and development to commercialisation; growing a new pipeline; and entering strategic partnerships.
She recognises that, throughout her career, she has been fortunate to provide mentorship to others and see how impactful this has been. She is particularly excited to engage in the 1:1 coaching as part of the Shott Start Up Accelerator that she hope will provide an opportunity both to share and to be challenged. She also acknowledges the longer-term learning and exposure the Shott Scale Up Accelerator provides to the engineering sector, including through the Enterprise Hub and Academy Fellows.
Last year, Neutrocheck® became the first ever venture investment of Macmillan Cancer Support, the UK’s largest cancer care charity. Their next key milestone is carrying out a pivotal clinical trial and making their regulatory submissions to get approval for Neutrocheck®.
