Press Release

• The project will adapt QV Bioelectronics’ existing electric field therapy (EFT) technology to develop the world’s first fully implantable EFT device to treat Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG).
• DMG is a highly aggressive childhood brain cancer and ultra-orphan disease with a median age of diagnosis of 6 and a five-year survival rate of only 2%.
• Funding will support early-stage device development and pre-clinical testing, expanding QV Bioelectronics’ portfolio and reinforcing the UK’s leadership in bioelectronics.

QV Bioelectronics, the creator of an innovative brain implant that uses Electric Field Therapy (EFT) to treat brain tumours, has secured £343,000 from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics programme. This funding will support the translation of their technology from adult to childhood brain cancer with a focus on diffuse midline glioma (DMG). The project will involve pre-clinical research and device development while fostering collaboration with leading brain surgeons to achieve critical technical and regulatory milestones in preparation for a first-in-human clinical trial. This initiative aims to expand QV Bioelectronics’ portfolio and strengthen the UK’s position as a leader in neuro-oncology research and innovation.

The company’s revolutionary EFT implant, GRACE, is designed to target dividing (active) cancer cells while sparing the healthy brain. EFT is a promising new treatment option for cancer, particularly in the brain where conventional treatments such as chemotherapy have limited effectiveness or impact patients’ quality of life.

QV is led by co-founders Dr Christopher Bullock (CEO) and Dr Richard Fu, a neurosurgery registrar and former Wellcome Trust clinical research fellow, who serves as Clinical Director. Based in the North West, the company has raised over £3M in equity funding from institutional investors and angels, and operates from state-of-the-art facilities at Alderley Park. QV Bioelectronics has also secured over £1.6M in grants, including support from Innovate UK and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

EFT is an emerging treatment for cancer that has been approved for over 12 years. EFT has shown significant promise in treating aggressive brain tumours and works by applying electric fields to the cancer, halting cell division without damaging healthy brain tissue. In glioblastoma, the most primary brain tumour in adults, EFT has significantly improved the five-year survival rate when used alongside existing treatments. QV Bioelectronics is leading the development of the first fully implantable EFT device for glioblastoma and is adapting this technology to create an implant specifically for DMG.

DMG is a particularly aggressive type of brain cancer, typically diagnosed in childhood, and has no known cure. The median age of diagnosis is 6 years and median survival is just 6 months, with radiation therapy extending this to 9 months. Surgery is not usually possible due deep location of the tumour in the brain, and there are currently no clinically proven chemotherapy options available. There is a clear need for treatments that improve the survival and quality of life of patients living with brain tumours. This project to develop a fully implanted EFT device aims to significantly advance treatment opportunities in paediatric neuro-oncology where current options are often ineffective.

Media Contact:

Qasim Akhtar / 07944285464 / [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

About QV Bioelectronics

QV Bioelectronics is striving to deliver longer, better quality lives for brain tumour patients. Their implanted electric field therapy, GRACE, aims to address the unmet clinical need of malignant brain tumours. Their therapy aims to change the paradigm of brain tumour treatment, with the ambition of significantly extending life expectancy without impacting patient quality of life, so patients can focus on what matters to them.

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.