New hope for fibroid sufferers

British tech firm gets green light on patent

British technology start-up Ablatus has received a new UK patent for their enhanced ablation technology. The move signifies hope for up to 12 million UK women affected by uterine fibroids, offering a new minimally invasive treatment option with global potential. The uterine fibroids device market is projected to reach $15.6Bn in 2032.

The new patent allows the enablement of additional direct current, offering the potential for improved patient outcomes and better quality of life across a range of clinical indications. Fibroids is a highly prevalent condition with around 80% of women globally having fibroids by the age of fifty. Treatment development lacks funding and treatment options that are minimally invasive and fertility-preserving are lacking. Uterine fibroids can cause debilitating pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, abdominal swelling, and complications during pregnancy and labour. These conditions impose a staggering up to $34.4 billion annually in the US alone.

Dr. Chung Looi, CEO of Ablatus Therapeutics, said: “Our mission is to enable millions of women access to a safe and cost-effective treatment for uterine fibroids so they can enjoy a better quality of life whilst preserving their fertility. This is a vastly underfunded condition in the vastly underfunded sector of women’s health and enough is enough. Securing this patent on our technology gives hope that future generations will not have to endure unnecessary suffering.”

How it works:

• Uterine fibroids are the main cause of hysterectomy – 13k per year in the UK
• Current treatments are mainly hormone pills or invasive surgery
• Most women delay treatment for up to three years with 80% wanting to avoid invasive surgery  and fear for fertility, facing crippling pain, debilitating symptoms and increasing risk of complication
• Ablation technology destroys tumours and at the site
• Minimally invasive
• Day case outpatient procedure (reducing costs of inpatient stays)
• A probe (needle) is inserted and uses radiofrequency (RFA) tech to penetrate the centre and destroy tumours

Ablatus is a British women’s technology health company born out of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Currently in advanced development, Luna targets fibroids with their patented enhanced ablation tech. Luna is grant backed by Innovate UK with an RTO Catapult Grant, and an Global Explorer’s grant. Ablatus has previously secured already £3 million of funding from investors included by Mercia Ventures, Low Carbon Innovation Fund, MedTech Accelerator and angel investors,  and now open to welcome new investors to accelerate growth including the community given how prevalent fibroids are via a crowd funding campaign.