Taylor Wessing advised Acolyte Biomedica on £3.7 million funding to launch revolutionary tests to combat superbug

Taylor Wessing advised Acolyte Biomedica Ltd, the UK-based developer of microbiology test systems, on securing £3.7 million in venture capital funding by Partnerships UK, ANGLE Technology Ltd and new investor, Circus Capital. The funding will be used to tackle hospital acquired infections by providing users with a rapid result that will impact patient care and clinical outcomes in a positive manner.

Acolyte is developing BacLite, a diagnostic test system designed to revolutionise microbiology lab practices through automating and accelerating some of the most common tests performed today. The first BacLite test, for the hospital superbug MRSA, is now in the final stages of development.  By giving a result within five hours, instead of the three to four days currently needed, BacLite MRSA is set to reduce hospital costs and provide improved patient care.  Other BacLite tests in development are targeted at rapidly identifying the appropriate antibiotics to use for serious blood infections.

A UK Government report on reducing healthcare associated infection in England, December 2003 identified that these infections affect five to ten per cent of patients hospitalised in the US and Europe. The report singled out MRSA as a particularly severe problem, yet one that active screening (as practiced in the Netherlands) can substantially reduce. The rate of MRSA in the Netherlands is 1% compared to 44% in the UK.

The Taylor Wessing team who advised Acolyte Biomedica Ltd comprised David Mardle and Chris Young.