52 North

Learn more about our investment in 52 North Health. They provide Neutrocheck®, a pioneering portable medical device that assesses patients’ risk of the life-threatening condition neutropenic sepsis.

About our investment in 52 North Health

A photo of the Neutrocheck app.

We have invested £100,000 in Neutrocheck®, a pioneering portable medical device that assesses patients’ risk of the life-threatening condition neutropenic sepsis, developed by 52 North Health.

Sepsis can occur in people undergoing chemotherapy due to a suppressed immune system, and it can be fatal. Research suggests that for every hour someone has neutropenic sepsis, their chances of survival can reduce by more than 7%, yet two in five visits to A&E are currently ‘false alarms’.

The Neutrocheck® is an at-home blood finger prick test which could help people to take action early, while those not at risk can avoid unnecessary and distressing trips to A&E. 

The investment in the Neutrocheck® and accompanying app in development from 52 North Health, a med-tech company based in Cambridge, is the first of its kind for Macmillan as part of our new Innovation Impact Investment Portfolio.

Watch the video below to hear more about Neutrocheck® from the Macmillan Innovation team and Macmillan innovation community members.

 

 

What people think of Neutrocheck®

A photo of Jenni Elbourne.

Jenni Elbourne, member of the Macmillan Innovation Community

Jenni was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2019. She has been a Macmillan Innovation Community member since 2022.

"Neutrocheck® would have made a huge difference to me during my cancer treatment and recovery. Catching an infection was a constant worry as this could be life-threatening if I was neutropenic; any sign of a fever would mean a trip to A&E. I had multiple infections during my chemotherapy which required urgent treatment. A device like this would have saved me a lot of anxiety as well as precious NHS time and resources that were used when I ended up having IV antibiotics that were later shown to be unnecessary. 

“So much of the patient experience is about waiting for test results. To have a device that you can use at home which instantly tells you information about what's going on in your body, so you know when to seek medical help, feels fantastically empowering.”
Dr Richard Simcock Consultant Clinical Oncologist and Consultant Advisor for Macmillan.

Professor Richard Simcock, Chief Medical Officer at Macmillan

"Infection during chemotherapy is one of the most feared complications of the treatment. It needs to be managed quickly. Rapid access to blood results should mean safer care for people with compromised immunity and less distress for people with normal results. If proven, the Neutrocheck® technology would help give confidence to people living with cancer and should hopefully reduce workload for busy emergency departments."
Umaima Ahmad, CEO of 52 North Health

Umaima Ahmad, CEO of 52 North Health

"Macmillan's organisational values strongly resonate with us at 52 North, and we’ve been working together for over a year, ensuring that people living with cancer are directly involved in product development for Neutrocheck®. We are delighted to be Macmillan’s first ever venture investment in its 112-year history.

"Neutrocheck® is a game-changer and has the potential to significantly improve both safety and quality of life for people living with cancer, and we are delighted to receive this recognition from one of the UK’s largest charities, in order to drive better cancer care together.”
A photo of Dr Fiona Path, Managing Partner of Crista Galli Ventures and investor in 52 North Health.

Dr Fiona Pathiraja, investor in 52 North Health 

Dr Pathiraja is the Managing Partner of Crista Galli Ventures and investor in 52 North Health. 

"Funding and innovation in oncology often focus on at the level of the cell. 52 North are disrupting cancer technology by innovating at the level of the patient. 52 North's Neutrocheck® device aims to reduce the number of patients admitted to hospital with life-threatening neutropenic sepsis. As a physician investor, I see the far reaching, real-life value of their technology. We at Crista Galli Ventures are proud to support 52 North and are thrilled that Macmillan Cancer Support are coming on board as an investor."