Somnus Scientific announces partnership with Life Science Group and Creonate
Somnus Scientific has agreed a collaborative partnership with Life Science Group (LSG) and Creonate Manufacturing for the next phase of product development.
As part of this, our existing lab-based immunoassay (ELISA) method for measuring propofol will be developed into a rapid point-of-care immunoassay (LFT) test providing all the requirements specified by clinicians.
Dr Tim Craft, Somnus CEO said: “We have been working with LSG’s antibody production team for some time to successfully produce antibodies to propofol and this agreement now provides a clear path from the feasibility work to high-volume manufacturing.”
Both LSG and Creonate complement the work of Somnus and will combine to accelerate us towards our first product. LSG develops and optimises antibodies in the UK and Creonate was born out of a need for the UK to have secure lateral flow device (LFD) production capabilities during the COVID pandemic and is now operating as the largest independently owned contract manufacturing facility in Europe.
Dr Craft continued: “We expect to complete production of a prototype LFD in near final manufactured form in just three months. This will result in 100 prototype LFDs being supplied in a test cassette or cartridge of our choice. We will then commence clinical useability testing and remain on target for market launch in 2026.”
Jenny Murray, Managing Director of LSG added, "This partnership represents a significant milestone in our mission to help advance healthcare solutions. By combining our expertise with that of Somnus and Creonate, we are ready to make a meaningful impact in the field of point-of-care testing, ultimately improving patient outcomes and driving innovation in healthcare.
Kevin Woolston, MD of Creonate added, “Considering and ensuring manufacturability at the earliest point of development will add value and de-risk later down the line, aiding a smooth transition through to routine manufactured product, and we are incredibly proud to be collaborating with LSG on this pioneering project for Somnus Scientific”
LSG and Creonate are based close to Somnus’ laboratory in St Neots, this will facilitate easy working arrangements including the testing of human samples on our gold standard HPLC assay, part of the validation programme. In addition, one of our primary clinical test sites, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge is nearby.
