24. Novai: fighting eye disease using pioneering DARC technology

Founder: Prof. M. Francesca Cordeiro
Year founded: 2020
Website: novai.co.uk

Our ageing population means that sight loss is set to become a bigger problem in the not too distant future. The number of people living with glaucoma in the UK is expected to increase by almost a third between 2020 and 2035. 

The good news is that treatments for glaucoma and other eye diseases, such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), exist. Once identified, progression can be slowed. The bad news is that diseases are often diagnosed too late, resulting in irreversible vision loss.

Novai is a new startup that directly addresses the problem using a novel technique known as DARC (Detection of Apoptosing Retinal Cells). DARC works by identifying AMD cell stress far earlier than conventional diagnostics seen in opticians today, such as OCT machines. 

Dreamt up by a team of researchers at University College London, the scientific explanation includes complex multisyllabic words (have fun trying to pronounce Phosphatidylserine). 

Boiled down, DARC essentially involves injecting a dye into the eye which attaches to sick or stressed cells. Novai’s patented AI algorithm then analyses the pattern produced to more accurately identify patients who are at high risk of progression in glaucoma or AMD.

Bringing a new treatment to market is, rightfully, not without trials. Persuading the “highly competitive and sceptical” ophthalmology and biotech communities that DARC technology could outperform age-old methods like OCT proved difficult. 

“We knew that without clear, compelling evidence, it would be difficult to gain traction in the market,” Cordeiro admits. “To overcome this, we committed to rigorous scientific validation.”

After receiving an initial seed investment of £500k in 2020, Novia ran 25 pre-clinical studies and multiple clinical tests. The results were hugely positive. It turns out that DARC can predict disease progression up to 36 months earlier than OCT.

We knew that without clear, compelling evidence, it would be difficult to gain traction in the market, so we committed to rigorous scientific validation.

Since then, Novai has secured major contracts with leading pharma and biotechnology firms, overcoming one of the biggest obstacles in drug development. Up next is a Phase IIb trial, with the aim of gaining regulatory approval in the US and Europe. 

DARC might sound sci-fi today. But in five years, it could be the go-to tool for clinical use in diagnosing and managing retinal diseases. Just wait and see..