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As a result of our discoveries of a new splice variant (ASIC1b) and a new member (ASIC4) of the ASIC family, and elucidation of their roles in pain caused by tissue acidity, several pharmaceutical companies are now working on ASIC-targeted analgesics and one company has been set up specifically to focus on this work. ASIC-related therapies for a wide variety of conditions are now in clinical trials, with substantial patient involvement. Our work has allowed new therapeutic applications to be conceived for already existing prescribed compounds, and for naturally-occurring compounds, that act on ASICs. Thus, our research on ASICs has had clinical and commercial impact.
Collaboration between Imperial College Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Surgery led to the development of active constraint robot solutions which augment surgeon skills so that joint replacement components are implanted accurately and successfully. This led to the founding of Acrobot to develop innovative surgical technologies. Acrobot was acquired by Stanmore Implants Worldwide in 2010. An orthopaedic stereotaxic instrument, based on Imperial research, obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance in 2013. This has led to Mako-Surgical purchasing Stanmore Implants Acrobot technology in April 2013.
Reduction of unpleasant ambient noise during MRI has been enabled through innovative engineering solutions developed at the Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research (MRC IHR). Intellectual property was licensed to Optoacoustics Ltd and the resulting OptoActive™ active noise-cancelling headphones for MRI are the only one of their type commercially available, enabling free conversation between patients and clinicians. The product was formally launched in September 2012 and has worldwide sales including in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Edinburgh Designs Ltd., (EDL) was spun-out to exploit ERPE research from the original Wave Power Group. With six staff and an annual turnover approaching £2M EDL has supplied the equipment and control systems for wave tanks in 19 countries including the world's largest computer-controlled wave test facility, the US Navy Manoeuvring and Station Keeping Tank. They are currently completing the world's first circular tank, combining waves with currents in any relative direction, which is operated by the 6 person company, "FloWave" EDL, still run by the founding staff, it is the world-leading supplier of wave-making technology for scientific and recreational facilities.
The Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale (CMPS) has provided the first validated pain questionnaire for the rapid assessment of acute pain in dogs in surgical and clinical settings. Developed by the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine, the scale aids clinical decisions on appropriate pain relief intervention and has been freely downloaded by over 3,000 clinical users since its launch in 2008. In addition, it has been used extensively by veterinary healthcare companies to successfully obtain regulatory approval for analgesic drugs and in marketing support materials. The University of Glasgow researchers have been instrumental in developing international pain guidelines with the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, which represent more than 180,000 veterinarians worldwide, and has thereby promoted awareness of pain management in companion animals.
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most commonly used medical tests which assist in diagnosing heart disorders worldwide. However, diagnosis relies on accurate interpretation of ECG recordings. Studies by University of Glasgow researchers have led to changes to international guidelines for ECG-based diagnosis of a heart attack (myocardial infarction; MI) and have led to significant refinements to the automated ECG analysis software called the `Glasgow Program'. Commercialisation of the Program since 2008 has resulted in its incorporation into some of the market-leading medical devices, with approval of the Glasgow Program by the FDA and more than 40,000 devices sold worldwide, potentially aiding millions of patients around the world. The Program assists hospital doctors, family practitioners and others such as first responding emergency services, e.g. ambulance and fire services, with the reliable interpretation of ECGs, enabling rapid and accurate diagnosis and treatment of patients with a variety of heart problems.
Impact: Policy / animal welfare. Policy implementation changed and bird welfare improved.
Significance: Our research informed welfare guidelines impacting upon housing of around 200 million laying birds in the EU. Our work has been adopted in EC regulations, and they are pushing all EU member states to ensure all their producers install aerial perches over slatted surfaces.
Beneficiaries: Laying birds, welfare organisations, egg producers, and the general public.
Attribution: Prof. Sparks, Dr. Sandilands (SRUC). Involved collaboration with Prof. Green at Heriot Watt University acting as a vision specialist.
Reach: Guidelines have been adopted in EU legislation.
Starting from a mechanism-based hypothesis, Alastair Compston and colleagues in Cambridge have led the academic development of Alemtuzumab as a highly effective therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis through Phase 1, 2 and two Phase 3 trials (1991-2012). The impacts to date are demonstration of the importance of the therapeutic `window of opportunity' in treating multiple sclerosis; a product licence in the European Union (September 2013) for the commonest potentially disabling neurological disease of young adults; expansion of the work-force in industry to develop and market this initiative; and an estimated several-fold increase in revenue to the University of Cambridge (and other beneficiaries) from total royalties of £18.6M from 1997 to date.
Our research on alternatives to medication in the treatment of childhood epilepsy has resulted in increasing rates of surgery with better outcomes, and a new clinical service — the national Children's Epilepsy Surgery Service (CESS) — being commissioned in England and Wales. We have also developed an evidence base for ketogenic dietary therapy, resulting in an increase in service provision. Many more patients are benefiting from this therapy, which is now recommended in NICE guidelines. Throughout our programme of research we have engaged with charities and patient groups to disseminate the results of our research as widely as possible.
The UCL Centre for Amyloidosis and Acute Phase Proteins has designed and developed new chemical entities targeting serum amyloid P component (SAP), C-reactive protein (CRP) and transthyretin, for novel therapeutic approaches to amyloidosis, Alzheimer's disease, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. The UCL spin out company, Pentraxin Therapeutics Ltd, founded by Sir Mark Pepys to hold his intellectual property (IP), has licensed two programmes to GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). These highly synergistic, collaborative multi-million pound developments, strikingly exemplify new working relationships between academia and the pharmaceutical industry.