52 North Health
52 North Health is developing the NeutroCheck: a fully-integrated, clinical, AI and medical device-based system to improve health outcomes and health equity for people living with cancer. The NeutroCheck is an innovative point-of-care medical device allowing patients to monitor their risk of neutropenic sepsis, one of the key side effects of chemotherapy. Its digital platform uses AI to better predict patient risk and improve patient outcomes.
Scroll down for our interview with the co-founder:
Interview with:
Umaima Ahmad, CEO & Co-Founder
Why did you start 52 North Health?
The story of our origin is very much an example of a market pull, rather than a technology push. We identified an unmet need in the care pathway for patients receiving chemotherapy. 1 in 2 patients coming into the hospital with suspected neutropenic sepsis were eventually found to be okay, but not before going to A&E, receiving strong antibiotics and undergoing full blood tests which can take up many hours. It was obvious that something needed to be done here but there was no low-cost way of determining risk of neutropenic sepsis outside of the hospital. This is why we developed NeutroCheck, and its companion digital platform.
What has been your happiest moment so far as a startup founder?
There have been two key moments, one from the start of the journey, and one more recent:
Winning our first competition in 2018 at the University of Cambridge when we were awarded our very first £10,000 of funding. We have been fortunate to have raised millions since, but there’s something special about the first time your idea is recognised in this way, and you are entrusted with funds to take it forward. This was the money that propelled us to carry out our earliest proof-of-concept experiments, taking NeutroCheck from an idea on paper into something tangible for the first time.
Celebrating International Women’s Day this year with the brilliant women at 52 North Health who make up 85% of the team; we held a ‘Girls in STEM’ event and inspired more than 40 secondary school students from across the country around pursuing STEM subjects or careers.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned to date?
The importance of interdependence - the state that comes after independence. That’s when you truly mature and graduate. Nothing valuable happens in isolation and you need great people around you to succeed.
Are there any founders or companies you look up to?
I greatly admire AstraZeneca, where I worked prior to moving full-time to 52 North Health. Pascal Soriot, CEO, was always clear, decisive, down-to-earth, ambitious and yet always open to new perspectives. AstraZeneca grew substantially in the three years I was there, with the share price almost doubling, and the company showing itself to be ahead of the curve in spaces such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). I was privileged to have worked on the two major ADC deals with Daiichi Sankyo, including for Enhertu, which has shown much promise in clinical trials and gained priority reviews from the FDA. The leadership of the company is the driving force behind its oncology portfolio being set up to redefine cancer care.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
There are two questions that I am often heard asking. These are:
“Can we do this better?” – it’s important to always think about whether we are working in the most efficient or value-generating way. This question is a challenge that invites everyone to think creatively about a proposal, and ensures that we give alternative strategies due consideration.
“How do we feel about this?” – this question provides an opportunity for everyone to step back from a discussion, consider the direction, and raise any potential flags early, and helps to ensure that teams are aligned before moving forward with a plan.
What is the quality you most admire in a colleague?
Curiosity and confidence – these are the qualities that enable us to grow.
We are all on a journey of continuous learning and it’s important to be curious, and also to have the confidence to ask questions around new areas in order to develop.
What is your current state of mind?
Excited. There is a lot happening at 52 North Health right now, with partnerships underway with Macmillan Cancer Support and the UK Sepsis Trust, a growing team of ambitious people, an amazing network of supportive patients feeding into our product development, the company winning awards, and our first clinical trial set to kick off this year – there is plenty keeping us busy!
Why did you decide to partner with KHP Ventures?
We felt KHP MedTech offered a unique value proposition being the first ever fund founded by NHS Trusts and a Research University working in partnership. The team immediately understood our value proposition with NeutroCheck and there was a clear alignment with our vision at 52 North Health.
Oh, and I’m a King’s alumni so there’s that too. I’m certainly feeling a bit of pride coming full circle!
Looking to the future, what do you hope 52 North Health will achieve?
Our vision at 52 North Health is to reinvent the healthcare journey. Here we are talking about the entire healthcare experience, from the patient’s perspective as well as the doctor’s and the community’s. There are so many stakeholders along that journey whose input is critical. We are proud to work closely with stakeholders from every perspective, and have a team of experts in-house in medicine, biosensor engineering and AI. We want to create care pathways that provide patients with better health outcomes and a better quality of life, while ensuring our solutions are affordable and co-created with patients in order to improve health equality in parallel.