Newcastle’s LightOx makes laser cancer treatment breakthrough

LightOx, a Newcastle company developing treatments including light-activated chemotherapy for early-stage oral cancer, is making new breakthroughs in the treatment of early-stage mouth cancers. Its first-of-its-kind in the UK laser treatment in the UK is currently completing pre-clinical testing with the latest advancements funded by Analysis for Innovators (A4I), a grant-funding programme run by Innovate UK.

The company’s new class of light-activated chemotherapy has the potential to revolutionise light-based therapeutic markets globally as it can be administered by dentists or trained clinicians, who apply a gel to the affected area and activate the drug with light. The non-invasive treatment is quick, simple and involves fewer side effects than surgery, significantly improving the overall patient experience.

Professor Carrie Ambler, chief scientific officer at LightOx, said: “Our new technologies fundamentally change the way in which light-based therapies are delivered to the patient. The A4I partnership has empowered us to transform our business and enabled us to look at problems and develop solutions in a new way. When one of our customers demonstrated our compounds were capable of something called two-photon absorption 1, we had neither the equipment nor expertise to be able to study that exciting process. But with the help of CLF, we gained new insights into how to further develop these products, how to make them better, how to make them different and most importantly – how to make them more suited for different applications.”

The scientists at CLF collaborated with LightOx to bring different backgrounds and knowledge towards a common cause – to improve the product. CLF enabled LightOx to capture new measurements, something that was not possible without CLF’s specialist equipment. Now LightOx’s product is currently on the market and being tested in hospitals and universities.