New spinout launches to advance early pancreatic cancer detection
Queen Mary University of London has launched a new company, Procyon Diagnostics, to provide pioneering early cancer detection tests. The company’s first test, PancRISK, offers new hope for detecting pancreatic cancer earlier, building on over 15 years of research by Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic at Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute (BCI), funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.
Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates, with fewer than 1 in 10 people surviving the disease for more than five years in the UK.
Early diagnosis of the cancer when it is still localised and can be surgically removed can increase a person’s chance of survival by over tenfold compared with cancer that is diagnosed after it has spread to distant sites. However, over 80% of patients are currently diagnosed at this late stage due to a lack of specific symptoms and good diagnostic tools.
The PancRISK test – Procyon’s first product, planned for launch in early 2026 – analyses biomarkers in blood and urine using a machine learning algorithm to identify pancreatic cancer. This approach makes it far more effective than any other test in use or development, many of which rely on blood alone. It will be the world’s first available pancreatic cancer test of this kind suitable for regular checkups.
The team’s research, funded by the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, showed that the biomarkers used in PancRISK enable the detection of pancreatic cancer with over 90% accuracy. These results are currently being validated through a multi-centre clinical trial, UroPanc.
Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic, Professor of Molecular Pathology and Biomarkers at Barts Cancer Institute, and Chief Scientific Officer at Procyon, said:
“Cancer survival depends heavily upon early detection. By detecting early on, our tests could save thousands of lives each year and make regular surveillance a realistic possibility. By establishing Procyon as a new spinout, we can bring these tests to patients as soon as possible.”
Procyon launched with an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Queen Mary University of London, joined by Source Bioscience and a network of experienced life sciences and diagnostics angel investors. The investment will fund the UK launch, regulatory preparation and international expansion of PancRISK.
Procyon has formed a strategic partnership with Personalised Diagnostics Limited for the user interface, secure digital storage and algorithmic analysis. Source Bioscience will provide testing services and help in managing partner laboratories to scale up testing.
Dr Phil Clare, Chief Executive of Queen Mary Innovation, said:
“Procyon exemplifies the type of investable, impact-driven spinout we’re creating at Queen Mary. The company combines world-class academic research with commercial leadership and investor backing from the start. Their activity will bring immense benefits to patients and their families.”
Procyon aims to be a leading provider of biomarker technologies for detecting early-stage cancers. Alongside testing, Procyon will use the data collected for further research to develop new non-invasive tests for other cancer types, primarily based on body fluids such as blood and urine.
Category: General News
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