Exciting News: Owlstone Medical featured on BBC Look East

We were delighted to be featured on BBC Look East recently, showcasing our latest work to detect lung cancer early, and our at-home breath test development for those with digestive health problems.

We are partnering with many hospitals and clinical sites to undergo the second phase of our EVOLUTION trial – aiming to test the diagnostic potential of D5-ethyl-βD-glucuronide (D5-EthGlu) as an exogenous volatile organic compound (EVOC^®) probe for the early detection of lung cancer. This probe is metabolized by β-glucuronidase, an enzyme found in the tumor microenvironment around lung cancer cells, into the volatile reporter D5-ethanol that can act as a detectable biomarker of lung cancer in exhaled breath.

Our patient-centric brand OMED Health was also featured, with our CEO Billy Boyle demonstrating how to use our soon-to-be-launched at-home hydrogen-methane breath analysis device to support the management of digestive disease. These two key gases can indicate the presence of underlying conditions such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), or carbohydrate malabsorption (CM), both of which can cause IBS-like symptoms and cause significant disruptions to daily life. This at-home breath test device can help monitor breath composition changes alongside tracking certain lifestyle factors, diet, and treatments. This data can then be shown to the patient’s doctor to develop personalized treatment plans systematically, to make more informed decisions about their gut health.

Breath analysis has numerous advantages to clinical practice, including the inherent non-invasiveness of the collection of breath, the large volume that can be collected and pre-concentrated for sensitive analysis, and the ability to sample compounds generated throughout the body at once. We envision a future where anyone can visit their GP and provide an easy breath sample to screen for the presence of many diseases, and the wider availability of breath testing devices for at-home monitoring, and personalization of medical care.

Owlstone Medical is the world leader in breath technology, and we are dedicated to advancing breath science to realize our mission of saving 100,000 lives. It is hoped that this can improve the survival rate from diseases that are too often diagnosed too late, and ensure that patients can better monitor their conditions at home with the availability of analytical devices.