One promising start-up has been announced as the winner of the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network  Accelerator Programme, delivered by Pioneer Group. The winning start-up, Migration Biotherapeutics, will receive £50k of business support, including virtual or physical lab or office space for up to 12 months.

Co-founded by Professor Peter Bannister and Dr Davide Danovi, Migration Biotherapeutics are developing a novel medical device that has the potential to revolutionise the treatment of Glioblastoma. Accounting for half of deaths from brain cancer and with an average survival of 18 months, there is no cure for Glioblastoma (GBM), largely due to the highly invasive nature of these cancers, which have typically spread rapidly throughout the brain by the time they are diagnosed.

Migration Biotherapeutics are developing a novel medical device compatible with existing treatment pathways, which mimics the behaviour of white matter tracks, allowing tumour stem cells to be directed away from healthy brain tissue to extend survival and improve quality of life for patients.

Dr Glenn Crocker, WAPG Exec. Director of Ventures and Investments said: "Migration Biotherapeutics is addressing a significant issue in oncology with a novel approach. The team used the Accelerator process to its full extent to understand how best to bring the product to market, setting out a clear development pathway. It was great to see how the business had moved on in just a short time, and I look forward to seeing great success in future. Congratulations to the team."

Dr Davide Danovi, co-founder of Migration Biotherapeutics, said: “The Accelerator has been a fantastic experience as it enabled us to integrate real-world insights from numerous interviews into a robust framework and to mature our value proposition. We are very excited about the next steps."

Julian Patel, Commercial Manager at East Midlands Academic Health Science Network, said: "We are delighted for Migration Biotherapeutics in their success in the 2021 East Midlands Academic Health Science Network Accelerator Programme. This amazing concept around Glioblastoma really demonstrates what we as an AHSN are all about in terms of identifying life-changing innovations and solutions that can really solve key patient issues and deliver savings and benefits to the NHS. We wish Peter, Davide and the team all the best in the future and look forward to continue working with them to get this idea into reality as soon as is possible."

Delivered by acceleration and scale-up specialists Pioneer Group, the East Midlands Academic Health Science Network ran throughout the Autumn of 2021, working with a cohort of pioneering founders seeking to commercialise scientific innovations.

The Accelerator Programme is an intensive eight-week programme designed to help scientific entrepreneurs launch, grow and scale businesses from their science. Founders learn how to 'Lean Start-up', using a set of highly effective tools to evaluate risks and create a business model that stands up to the scrutiny of potential investors, partners and customers. Start-ups work one-to-one with WAPG coaches, attend workshops and complete activities weekly. Founders also receive guidance on growth and scaling challenges from members of the WAPG Expert Network and gain crucial pitching practice during pitch events to WAPG investor expert panels.

Find out more about the WAPG EMAHSN Accelerator Programme and apply for 2022.