January 25, 2024

59: Neutrocheck, an at-home test for neutropenic sepsis with Umaima Ahmad from 52North

20 minutes

On this episode, Vinay is joined by co-founder Umaima Ahmad, to discuss their startup 52North and their ambitious tech that powers a life-saving product. Neutrocheck is device for those undergoing chemotherapy and who are at risk of neutropenic sepsis. With a background in financial law, Umaima and her team of co-founders were inspired to solve a problem that is a serious side-effect for those needing crucial treatment for cancer. Hear all about their journey to creating the product and how it all took off after a small grant of only ten thousand pounds.

Discover:

How Umaima’s mid-career Masters led to the development of 52North

How her background as a financial lawyer gave her the transferable skills to become an entrepreneur

How a Cambridge University mentorship programme offered them their first investment

How they developed a product to diagnose neutropenic sepsis, a common side effect of chemotherapy without unnecessary A&E visits

How Neutrocheck, their product and app, can save time, money, and lives in cancer care

How using COVID-19 lateral flow kits as a stimulus helped them brainstorm a solution for diagnosing Neutropenic Sepsis

How branching out into digital and AI is being tempered by targets for accessibility and health equity

How patient feedback and input from medical professionals has been essential in building the solution

How they became the first product to be fully endorsed by the MacMillan Cancer Trust in 100 years

How Neutrocheck could reduce costs to the NHS by around £70 million

How they are beginning to explore new avenues for detecting disease using their portable low-cost device

Guest: Umaima Ahmad

Website: https://52north.health/

Host: Dr Vinay Shankar

Website: https://www.oncedaily.co

Podcast: 15 Minutes With The Doctor

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By Dr Vinay Shankar