7 Highlights from 2020: An exciting year of progress for Owlstone Medical
Published on: 22 Dec 2020
2020, as a consequence of COVID-19, has seen a greatly increased level of international interest in the fast-growing field of breath research. As this globally challenging year is now at an end, we’ve taken a look back at what we’ve achieved for Owlstone Medical and Breath Biopsy®.
1. Validation of EVOC Probes for Liver Disease
In September we published a paper that successfully demonstrated the use of exhaled limonene as a breath biomarker to measure liver function and stage liver disease. These results validated our EVOC® Probe strategy, launched in 2019, for breath-based diagnostic test development.
Giuseppe Ferrandino, one of our Metabolomic Scientists and the paper’s lead author, presented a well-attended webinar unpacking these findings and discussing the next steps for this work, including the results of the untargeted analysis of these breath samples.
Read the announcement Watch the webinar
2. Standing with the International Community against COVID-19
We’ve been working at the cutting edge of breath-based diagnostics since our founding in 2016. In 2020 we’ve expanded Breath Biopsy to allow the detection and analysis of exhaled breath aerosol (EBA), in addition to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have been our long-term focus. We’re confident that this broadening of our focus, partly made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will lead to a lot of exciting new applications for breath analysis in the future.
Developing Breath Biopsy for EBA has enabled us to support DRAGON, the IMI-funded project exploring the potential to capture and detect COVID-19 on breath. We’re here to help you integrate Breath Biopsy into your COVID-19 research too.
Analyzing EBA with Breath Biopsy Investigate COVID-19 on Breath
3. Significant Advancements across our Respiratory Program
Thanks to impressive progress in 2020, in early 2021 we will be launching a Respiratory Panel to the market that will support research into illnesses including COPD and asthma. In the autumn Marc van der Schee MD PhD, Head of Clinical Strategy with Owlstone Medical, presented a webinar that detailed the biological and clinical validation of some of the key compounds in this panel. We’re looking forward to much more news on this in the year ahead.
4. #BBCon20 was our biggest Breath Biopsy Conference yet
Now in its third year, the annual Breath Biopsy Conference has become a flagship event for the whole breath research community. This year’s event saw nearly 700 academics and industrialists from across the globe register to attend two days of cutting-edge presentations covering the latest advances in breathomics, featuring 21 expert speakers and 19 research posters.
This year’s fully online event featured sessions covering the Applications of VOCs, Breath Biomarkers for Liver Disease, Study Design and Data Analytics, and Breath Biopsy and COVID-19; alongside a robust and stimulating panel discussion and plenary talks from leaders in the field.
Find out more Watch online now
5. We launched a new edition of the Breath Biopsy Guide
Breath Biopsy: The Complete Guide is a handy reference for everything Breath Biopsy related and in the fast-paced world of breath research it’s important that it continues to provide you with the latest findings and innovations.
We launched the latest edition of the Guide in the spring, featuring more research results than ever before and entirely new sections on EBA, EVOC Probes and using Breath Biopsy for Exposomics.
6. Recognized as one of the Fierce 15 in medical technology
Back in March, Owlstone Medical were named on FierceMedTech’s Fierce 15 list, which celebrates the spirit of being “fierce” and championing of innovation and creativity, even in the face of intense competition. The award helps to identify us as one of the most promising private medtech companies in the industry.
7. Progressing towards clinical applications with Breath Biopsy Tests
With the progress we’ve made this year, we’re closer than ever to developing clinical applications for Breath Biopsy in a number of areas. That means, for the first time, we’re in a position to start telling you about the work we’ve been doing to develop viable early detection and precision medicine tests in three key areas: lung cancer, liver disease and respiratory disease.
We’re exploring many other applications both internally and through our global partnerships. Stay up to date with our new dedicated page for Breath Biopsy Tests.
