NGPOD Global in Daresbury is developing a revolutionary new device designed to change the way that hospital patients requiring feeding tubes are treated and has just completed a clinical trial with over 400 results at three NHS hospitals.

Since moving onto the campus the company, which specialises in providing innovative solutions to patient safety issues surrounding tube placement, has grown substantially and is now operating its manufacturing R&D from its own bespoke Daresbury Laboratory.

Dr. Phil Carvil, HealthTec Cluster Development Manager at STFC, said: “When the HealthTec cluster launched a year ago, nobody could have predicted that it would reach its first milestone in the midst of a health crisis. It has never been more important that we come together as a sector, and as a community in the region, to enable members to network, innovate, share ideas and collaborate with each other.

"Throughout the last year, start-up businesses involved with the cluster have achieved incredible things in an effort to address our health system challenges; from developing a new generation of plant-based anti-malaria repellent, to testing our next generation of cancer therapy, they are delivering solutions that will drastically improve people’s lives.”

Perfectus Biomed is an outstanding example of a start-up company achieving rapid growth and success. Having joined the campus as a sole-trader, it is now an award-winning, market leading microbiological test house that has just expanded on campus after demand for its product development and regulatory support testing services doubled in the space of a year. Earlier this year it was named one of the ‘Top 20 North West most exciting companies to watch out for in 2020’. Most recently, the company teamed up with another fast-growing campus company Arcis Biotechnology, in a project to produce a coronavirus testing kit.

Phil Carvil added: “This is just a snapshot of the organisations and companies who make up this vibrant and growing community. Going forward, it is our ambition to continue to ask how we can better support collaboration both in and between sectors, support cutting edge innovation and growth for companies in the region, and continue to grow this this fantastic community. It is truly inspiring to be part of this cluster, supporting innovation and technological developments that will go on to empower citizen health and well-being.”

Innovation Agency Chief Executive, Dr. Liz Mear said: “It is part of our core business at the Innovation Agency to support local businesses with great products to access health markets and I am absolutely delighted with the success of the HealthTec Cluster in strengthening that work.”