A ward-based genetic test developed by Manchester-based diagnostics company Genedrive, in collaboration with clinical and academic teams from The University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, has been awarded the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) product mark. The certification, which is the UK equivalent of the European CE mark, clears the path for wider evaluation and adoption of the test within the National Health Service.
The test is designed to determine whether stroke patients carry genetic variations in the CYP2C19 gene that affect their ability to metabolise clopidogrel, the standard first-line treatment prescribed to prevent secondary strokes.
A health innovation programme designed to accelerate the development and deployment of novel diagnostics across Greater Manchester has been strengthened by a combined investment exceeding fourteen million pounds. The programme is delivered through a partnership involving Health Innovation Manchester, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and The University of Manchester, and brings together additional investment from life sciences and digital industry partners alongside public funding from Innovate UK.
The scale of the investment reflects the breadth of ambition behind the programme, which targets some of the most challenging disease areas facing the region's population of 2.8 million people.
Greater Manchester has been selected alongside Glasgow City Region and the West Midlands to pilot the Innovation Accelerator programme, a new model for place-based research and development investment backed by one hundred million pounds in government funding. The programme, awarded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, targets sectors where each region has established research strengths, with the aim of accelerating economic growth and strengthening the United Kingdom's global competitiveness in high-value industries.
For Greater Manchester, the funding has been directed towards projects in four frontier sectors: advanced materials and manufacturing, artificial intelligence and digital technology, health innovation and life sciences, and clean growth.