Public Funding for Cromerix Ltd

Cromerix is a UK-based biotech medtech SME with a core project team of Sourav Ghosh (project lead), Praveenkumar Kaveri (development lead) and Mahasweta Mukherjee (business and test analyst). Beauty and personal care products manufacturers are challenged by slow remote microbiological testing. The economic impact of a large inventory and delayed product release and contamination response associated with these slow tests is estimated \>£80bn globally in 2024\. Sub-optimal testing due to speed, accessibility and cost limitations often leads to costly product recalls (~£6m/manufacturer). The growing preservative restrictions and stricter regulations are pushing the need for more frequent and extensive testing to mitigate compliance failure and product recall risks. There is an unmet need for rapid, simple and low-cost onsite microbiological tests. If unresolved, the problem will strain manufacturers, primarily SMEs, escalating costs to consumers and compromising public health and quality of life. Cromerix is developing the world's first and fastest onsite microbiological test, ApQET (aptamer-based quantum energy transfer), that confirms the bacterial load and antimicrobial effectiveness for all species reliably and affordably. ApQET is a groundbreaking testing method that offers the reliability of traditional microbiological culture-based tests right at the point-of-need or onsite. It boasts a turnaround time that is more than 100 times faster than culture and is significantly easier to use. This innovative approach allows beauty and personal care products manufacturers to expedite the release of 97%-99% of their products 3-7 days sooner. In the event of contamination, it enables the replacement of affected goods 6-14 days sooner, resulting in a cost savings of 15%-30% indirect expenses. Furthermore, ApQET also enhances productivity and market responsiveness for manufacturers.

Diabetic foot ulcer is a severe healthcare problem that is associated with significant morbidity, costs, and mortality. A low-cost simple and rapid point-of-care test that can help predict infection in diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and inform optimal and timely self-driven management at home and in the community will have a significant impact on quality of life, care, and costs. We will carry out the technological and commercial feasibility of such a test under development. We will adapt our novel microbial test to work for DFU, receive clinical feedback on its validation data and develop a commercial plan working together with industry specialists, clinical experts, and patients/public.