News & Awards
Clinical and non-clinical colleagues interested in capsule sponge testing from across the UK will come together on 25 May to discuss what has been achieved to date and how this emerging technology will deliver real-world impact at a system level and transform the upper GI care pathway.
Check out the agenda and register for your free place here:
The early cancer test allows patients to swallow a capsule which collects cells from the oesophagus in a process that takes just ten minutes and can be delivered in the community. This technology is more comfortable and more accessible than conducting endoscopies – the current standard of care for monitoring Barrett’s oesophagus patients.
Oesophageal cancer remains a pressing public health priority, with late diagnoses leading to poor survival rates. Cyted’s highly effective diagnostic pathway to detect early-stage oesophageal cancer can reduce NHS backlogs and relieve pressures on endoscopy services.
"There is huge potential to build on this work to support many more patients and develop new diagnostic tests in future.”
The test is currently used in more than 50 hospitals in England and Scotland and is being trialled in community settings from August 2022, including in GP surgeries. The NHS has provided £500,000 of funding to pilot testing in community care across North-West England.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO and co-founder of Cyted said
“This milestone shows the difference that our test is making for many thousands of patients. This technology delivers quicker and less intrusive monitoring, freeing up NHS resources.
“The next stage will see the early cancer test used in GP clinics and community diagnostic centers. It’s exciting to see an innovation created in the UK making such a positive impact for patients. There is huge potential to build on this work to support many more patients and develop new diagnostic tests in future.”
Read more from Marcel here
As part of the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List 2022, Professor Fitzgerald was recognised for her unwavering commitment to improving the early diagnosis of cancer, in particular her lifetime work on the Cytosponge.
The Queen's Birthday Honours mark the extraordinary contributions and service of people across the UK.
In addition to Professor Fitzgerald’s award, Cambridge has been highlighted as an innovation hotspot, with industry leaders and academics across sectors being recognised for their incredible work.
Professor Fitzgerald, Professor of Cancer Prevention and Co-Founder at Cyted, said: "It is an exciting but long path from the seed of an idea through to implementation of the Cytosponge in the NHS, and receiving this award is an honour and a tremendous boost for me and the whole team who continue to strive to improve the early diagnosis of cancer."
Marcel Gehrung, CEO and Co-Founder at Cyted, said: “I am extremely proud of my fellow Co-Founder on receiving this well-deserved honour, and I know the whole team are with me on extending our deepest congratulations. We have come a long way in recent years and we know there is a huge potential for the Cytosponge to save thousands of lives across the globe, through the earlier and faster detection of cancer.
You can read more here
Regarded as the industry’s equivalent of a Nobel Prize, Prix Galien is dedicated to honouring innovation in life sciences.
The Cytosponge was chosen against a strong list of industry leading innovation, recognising it as a game-changer for both patients and health systems.
Cyted has accelerated access to the Cytosponge test across the UK, with successful pilots ongoing for the detection and monitoring of Barrett’s oesophagus – a known precursor to oesophageal cancer – with expansion into primary care underway.
Now available in hospitals across England, the Cytosponge offers a way to triage and prioritise patients for endoscopy and tackle the NHS backlog.
With the Cytosponge, signs of cancer are picked up much earlier, improving survival rates in a cancer with typically poor outcomes. The Cytosponge is also supporting the NHS in its recovery by cutting patient wait times and pressure on endoscopy services.
Best Medical Technology was open to any instrument, apparatus, appliance, software or other article (whether used alone or in combination together with any accessories, including software used specifically for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes) that has had a significant, positive impact on improving patient lives.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO and Co-Founder at Cyted, comments: “This is a huge moment for Cyted and the Cytosponge. I am immensely proud that the Cytosponge has been awarded Best Medical Technology by Prix Galien.
“At Cyted, our ultimate objective is to make the Cytosponge a routine test for millions of patients at risk, both in the UK and beyond, preventing tens of thousands of deaths from advanced oesophageal cancer every year.”
Project CYTOPRIME will divert patients living with reflux and Barrett’s Esophagus from endoscopy waiting lists
The North-West has the longest waitlist for endoscopy in England, with more than 50% of patients waiting over six weeks for a potentially life-saving diagnostic test
Cyted has today announced it has received £0.5 million funding from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare to pilot the Cytosponge test in the community care setting across the North-West of England.
Cyted will work in partnership with the Innovation Agency North West Coast Academic Health Science Network, the Lancashire & South Cumbria Cancer Alliance, the Cheshire & Merseyside and Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Systems, Unity Insights and Medtronic.
Project CYTOPRIME will transform local care pathways across Cheshire & Merseyside and Lancashire & South Cumbria. Healthcare professionals will receive training to deliver the Cytosponge test and establish their own clinics in GP centres and community diagnostic centres.
Through Project CYTOPRIME, we will offer the Cytosponge test to patients on endoscopy waiting lists living with reflux (heartburn) symptoms and Barrett’s Oesophagus. The Cytosponge positively identifies approximately 15% of these patients to have signs of early oesophageal cancer1, who can then be prioritised for endoscopy and treatment.
Implementing innovative ways to triage endoscopy waiting lists is more important than ever, with the pressures felt across the country. These pressures are particularly felt in the North-West, where we have one of the longest waitlists for endoscopy at 13,738 patients and over 50% waiting more than six weeks for a potentially life-saving diagnosis.2
By delivering the Cytosponge test in a community setting, Project CYTOPRIME will relieve pressure on secondary care teams and support recovery of endoscopy services. Offering the Cytosponge test in the community also seeks to create health equity by overcoming barriers and reducing geographic and socio-economic inequality in access to diagnostic services.
By transforming local care pathways, Project CYTOPRIME will build a blueprint to help the NHS identify those “missing patients” who have not yet presented to their GPs or been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Expanding access to the Cytosponge test will save lives by shortening waiting times between referral and diagnosis, catching oesophageal cancer at an earlier stage where treatments are more likely to be effective.
Throughout Project CYTOPRIME, Cyted will evaluate the impact of offering the Cytosponge test in the community for the healthcare system. If successful, this service model for the Cytosponge test could be considered and adopted by other regions across the UK.
The award is one of nine innovations to receive £4 million through a nationwide funding call by SBRI Healthcare, in collaboration with NHS England and NHS Improvement, the AHSN Network and NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO and Co-Founder at Cyted, comments: “We are delighted to be expanding the use of the Cytosponge test to community settings in the North-West of England with support from the SBRI.
This will support the recovery of endoscopy waiting times in one of the regions under most demand across the country, helping patients access potentially life-saving cancer treatment sooner and relieving some stress and concern during a difficult time. We look forward to working with our NHS partners to broaden the reach and impact of the initiative in the coming months.”
Dr Jodie Moffat, Head of Strategic Evidence and Early Diagnosis Programme Lead, at Cancer Research UK, comments:"After decades of research by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists, we are excited to see the different ways Cytosponge is being explored in practice, including this latest project in the North-West. A quick, efficient, and minimally invasive diagnostic test like the Cytosponge could mean that some patients don’t need an endoscopy, which could save people from a long and anxious wait and also free up capacity for others."
Application of the Cytosponge test in the screening of Barrett’s esophagus will transform outcomes for patients and clinicians.
Cyted is partnering across healthcare systems to accelerate the roll-out of the Cytosponge test globally and save tens of thousands of lives through the earlier and faster detection of cancer.
The Cytosponge test is set to revolutionise the diagnosis of Barrett’s esophagus, the pre-cancerous condition predisposing individuals to esophageal cancer, in the United States (US) following an update to clinical guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) supporting its use in screening.
Published in American Journal of Gastroenterology (AJG), the revised guidelines synthesise current best practices in the management of Barrett’s esophagus with several key changes since its last iteration. Critically, the ACG now recognises and supports the Cytosponge test as an alternative to endoscopy for screening of Barrett’s esophagus in those with risk factors including chronic reflux symptoms.
Clinicians across the US recognise the importance of screening and early diagnosis for esophageal cancer. Survival rates following diagnosis remain dismal, at less than 20% after five years. Barrett’s esophagus affects at least 5.6% of the US population and is the greatest risk factor for oesophageal cancer, increasing the risk by 10-55 times that of the general population. Thus, it is critical to detect Barrett’s esophagus earlier and faster to improve patient outcomes and save lives.
The ACG declare that “the greatest experience to date and largest available evidence base has been with the Cytosponge device”. Their recommendation to apply the Cytosponge test for the screening of Barrett’s esophagus will transform outcomes for thousands of patients and clinicians.
Revising the guidelines marks a huge milestone for clinicians and health providers across the US. The ACG recognises the substantial progress that has been made in developing Cytosponge as a minimally invasive, cost-effective test for Barrett’s esophagus.
The Cytosponge is praised for the breadth of its clinical evidence base, both in the United Kingdom (UK) and the US, including safety, cost-effectiveness, accuracy and patient perceptions when compared with endoscopy. Screening patients with chronic reflux with the Cytosponge test has been shown to detect 10-times as many cases of Barrett’s esophagus compared with standard of care, which is only being offered endoscopy if seen as necessary by their healthcare provider. The recommendation by the ACG for a “nonendoscopic capsule sponge device combined with a biomarker” further emphasises that the Cytosponge is the only commercially available technology with significant evidence base and commercial scale in recent years.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO and Co-Founder at Cyted
, said: “It’s excellent to see the Cytosponge test being recognised as a safe and effective alternative to endoscopy for the screening of Barrett’s esophagus by the ACG. This will have a huge impact in the US, where millions of people are affected by chronic reflux symptoms, the primary symptom of Barrett’s esophagus, a well-defined precursor to esophageal cancer.
At Cyted, we are working relentlessly with our partners to accelerate the roll-out of the Cytosponge test in the UK, EU, US and beyond to save lives by spotting the signs of cancer earlier and faster, allowing clinicians to stop it in its tracks. Underpinning our work at Cyted are pivotal results, and we are looking forward to collaborating with clinicians, partners and patients in the US following this momentous decision by the ACG.”
Rebecca Fitzgerald, Professor for Cancer Prevention and Co-Founder at Cyted, said: “The latest clinical guidelines from the ACG offers great news for patients across the US. Cyted are well positioned to continue this momentum to drive positive change and save lives, and we are committed to supporting the rollout of the Cytosponge.”
The updated ACG clinical guidelines follow the expansion of Cytosponge across NHS England and NHS Scotland to deliver the test for patients living with chronic reflux symptoms and Barrett’s esophagus. To date, many thousands of Cytosponge tests have been delivered across the UK.
With support from Innovate UK (UKRI) and Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Cyted are proud to have collaborated with Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, King’s College London, the PHG Foundation and Medtronic to form Project DELTA, with the ultimate aim of triggering a new era in the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer.
The UKRI/CRUK-funded DELTA project has developed and facilitated the rapid implementation of the Cytosponge test, with Cyted’s partnerships with the NHS at the heart of its uptake.
Through the digital and data-driven advancements from the Project DELTA teams, patients will receive their diagnosis earlier and faster so they can start potentially life-saving cancer treatment at a stage that it is most likely to be successful.
Since late 2020, over 6,500 Cytosponge procedures have been carried out in the UK, offering invaluable benefit for the NHS in tackling the national backlog by diverting patients away from endoscopy waiting lists.
This is more important than ever with over 67,000 patients waiting for an upper GI endoscopy in England as of January 2022, of which nearly 40% have been waiting over six weeks.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said:"A quick, efficient, and minimally invasive diagnostic test like theCytosponge can go a long way towards reducing the stress and anxiety that accompanies the wait for a test. And diagnosing cancer as early as possible is absolutely vital for improving outcomes for patients.
After decades of research by Cancer Research UK-funded scientists, we are excited to see that this technology is already well on its way to helping bring patients off endoscopy waiting lists across the UK."
Marcel Gehrung, CEO, Cyted, commented: “At Cyted, we are dedicated to leading a revolution in diagnostics, so that diseases and cancers are diagnosed earlier and faster. We are delighted to have received support from CRUK and UKRI through Project DELTA to bring the Cytosponge to patients and ensure patients receive their diagnosis early so they can start potentially life-saving cancer treatment sooner”
This support is invaluable to help further develop ourAI technology which will revolutionise the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer.”
Cyted has been named one of Britain’s most impressive innovators in the Department for International Trade’s second publication of their Digital Health Playbook –‘Beyond 100’– which showcases the UK’s leading digital health innovators to international markets.
Positioned alongside some of the most prominent players in digital healthcare, Cyted’s inclusion in the Digital Health Playbook recognises their readiness for global expansion, the uniqueness of their innovation and their potential for tackling the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges.
First published in 2021, the latest edition of the Playbook has been expanded to include new pioneers in digital healthcare, whose ground-breaking technologies are expected to play a key role in addressing healthcare challenges globally.
From companies that provide self-care, digital triage and virtual care solutions, to those that analyse and report data to improve efficiencies and diagnostics, the Playbook now includes 160 UK companies, all of which have demonstrated their commitment to export and international expansion, their responsiveness to changing system needs, and their dedication transform the delivery of healthcare, both within the UK and internationally.
With the support of the DIT’s Digital Health team and their connections in 96 international markets, Cyted is planning to lay the foundations for an exciting growth journey ahead, so they can continue revolutionising cancer diagnostics on a global scale.
Marcel Gehrung, CEO, Cyted, commented:
“At Cyted, we are dedicated to leading a revolution in diagnostics, so that diseases and cancers are diagnosed earlier and faster. We're delighted to be recognised by the Department for International Trade’s Beyond 100 Digital Health Playbook as one of the UK’s most impressive innovators.
“We are proud to be making a difference across one of the most complex health systems in the world, during its most challenging time. Our technologies and services are being tried and tested across the NHS, helping to accelerate patient turnaround times and improve patient outcomes. We are ready to partner with healthcare providers globally to bring our services and innovations to patients and systems overseas.
Thank you to Dr Mike Short CBE FREng FIET FBCS FITP, The AHSN Network and UCL Partners for your support.”
To read more about the Department for International Trade’s ‘Beyond 100’ Digital Health Playbook,
- Cyted has piloted a novel managed digital pathology model for over 5,000 tests with NHS and private hospitals, with the aim to scale in 2022.
- New partnerships with private healthcare providers have been established to build managed pathways and virtualise pathology operations.
- Cyted has supported the national roll-out of over 3,500 of its early oesophageal cancer diagnostic tests to date into NHS services across England and Scotland with European pilots being underway.
- Over the next six months, the company headcount will double to further develop and support the uptake of its technologies, and laboratory operations will be moved to larger premises in Huntingdon, UK.
CAMBRIDGE, UK, 7th September 2021: Cyted has shared its plans for further growth as the company is set to double its headcount during the next six months.
Recent expansion has seen Cyted reaffirm its commitment to pioneering diagnostic platforms through new partnerships, to build new managed pathways and virtualise pathology operations. The programme is focused on streamlining services during the COVID-19 era and easing pressures on the health system as it recovers from the impact of the pandemic.
This growth also follows the delivery of over 3,500 diagnostic tests to NHS services across England and Scotland in Cyted’s first managed pathway, known as the Cytosponge test, and the pilot of a novel managed digital pathology model.
Through the earlier and faster diagnosis of disease, the implementation of managed pathways in primary and secondary care helps to conserve pathologists’ time, save costs, reduce wait times and improve patient outcomes. Through diagnosis of Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition which increases the likelihood of oesophageal cancer, Cyted has already helped over 3,500 patients enter the care pathway earlier; halting the progression of cancer and reducing pressure on the system.
Over the coming months, Cyted will continue to support the NHS in the roll-out of its technology, digital diagnostic infrastructure and services to enable the earlier and faster detection of a range of diseases.
Since starting operations in 2020, Cyted has evolved from a team of three scientists and clinicians from the University of Cambridge. To support the implementation of its technology and platforms, Cyted will double its headcount from the current team of 40 over the next six months. Cyted will move its laboratory operations to a new building in Huntingdon in late 2021 to accommodate this growth.
Marcel Gehrung, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer at Cyted,comments:
“At Cyted, we are committed to building a world where disease is prevented rather than treated. We recognise that cancer services in the UK are under extreme pressure, something which has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our game-changing technology aims to offer solutions that relieve some of this pressure through essential earlier and faster detection of disease.
“To continue to deliver on this, we must ensure we have the best minds as part of our team. We are excited to be doubling our dedicated team of pioneers and specialists to facilitate the delivery of our existing services and to develop new solutions that improve outcomes for patients.”
About Cyted
Cyted is building a world where disease is prevented rather than treated. We are committed to enabling the earlier and faster detection of disease, providing game-changing technology that is at the cutting-edge of what machine learning and automatic can do. Our products and services combine artificial intelligence technology and digital diagnostic infrastructure with next generation biomarkers.
With significant expertise in pathology, we are streamlining diagnostic and clinical workflows. Our pioneering, fully managed, end-to-end diagnostic platform has the power to save pathologists time, give clinicians quicker access to answers and enable access to better outcomes for all. For more information, please visit www.cyted.ai.
About The Cytosponge Test
The Cytosponge involves sampling cells from the surface of the oesophagus using the Cytosponge cell collection device by Medtronic, consisting of a mesh sphere on a string inside a gelatine capsule. The capsule is swallowed by the patient and the gelatine capsule dissolves in the stomach allowing the sponge to expand. The sponge is then withdrawn from the stomach, sampling cells from the surface of the oesophagus. The cells and biomarkers associated with Barrett’s Oesophagus are then analysed using the Cyted pathology platform.
Cyted Press Office
Hanover Communications
E-mail :cyted@hanovercomms.com
Recognizing Excellence: Our Awards and Accolades
