A new class of test

It is estimated that one in two people will be diagnosed with some form of cancer within their lifetime (1). 

70% of cancer deaths occur from cancers without available screening (2).

We are developing a single, non-invasive blood test to screen for multiple cancers, including cancers without current guideline‐recommended screening tests.

Enlighten® is a first-in-class Multi-Cancer Early Detection test that measures the host response to tumour development, strongest in early-stage cancers, using an affordable, fluorescence-kit-based microplate reader assay. Our goal is to deliver a step change to the way cancer is detected, to improve population health outcomes, and reduce health inequalities.

Our biorthogonal chemistry enables direct measurement of the host response from crude patient plasma, eliminating complex sample preparation. This allows Enlighten® to be offered at a lower cost than existing tests, while delivering high sensitivity and specificity, especially for early-stage disease.

Our unique technology allows whole blood samples to remain at room temperature in

common and inexpensive standard EDTA collection tubes for up to 48 hours before processing into plasma. This enables sample collection in distributed settings (pharmacies and mobile vans), reducing the burden on primary healthcare providers for population-level testing.

We are currently clinically validating Enlighten® in Breast, Colorectal, Prostate, Pancreatic, Lung, Melanoma, Oesophageal, Ovarian, Bladder, and Renal cancer.  In the near future, we plan to move ahead with clinical validation in additional tumour types, including stomach, liver and thyroid cancers.

MODERNISED: A prospective observational study to generate evidence on the performance characteristics of Enlighten®, and to design a NHS programme for the use of the test, providing acceptable, effective, equitable, and cost-effective screening, to be evaluated in a subsequent Randomised Controlled Trial.