University of Edinburgh spin-out BIOCAPTIVA has announced £1.58 million in funding and the launch of its msX platform in the US. This innovative technology focuses on improving blood sample preparation for liquid biopsy, a crucial area in cancer research and diagnostics.

The msX technology

BIOCAPTIVA's patented msX platform extracts DNA directly from whole blood, eliminating the need for centrifugation or additional reagents. This simplified process offers higher quality samples and reduced processing times. The goal is to make liquid biopsy testing more reliable, scalable, and accessible, accelerating cancer research.

Investments and growth

The funding round was led by Archangels, with support from Old College Capital, BBI, Scottish Enterprise, and EverQuest Capital Partners. BIOCAPTIVA has also appointed Alan Schafer as Chief Technology Officer, bringing over 30 years of experience in genetics technologies and molecular diagnostics to the company.

Future prospects

According to Jeremy Wheeler, CEO of BIOCAPTIVA, the msX platform has the potential to revolutionize sample collection, allowing for larger samples, faster extraction, and fully automatable capabilities. The funding will also support R&D investment to expand BIOCAPTIVA's product range and potential applications.