Our Industry partnerships

Neurocentrx

Oral ketamine has the potential to support treatment-resistant depression. Oral pharmokinetics of ketamine are not well established, and clinical trials are a crucial step in developing health breakthroughs. Consequently, partnering with the Wellcome Trust enabled C-FIT to support the study design, crucial to development of the new therapeutic intervention.

We co-designed and conducted the successful phase I pharmacokinetic study. Subsequently we supported Neurocentrx in received follow-on funding from the Wellcome Trust for a Phase II trial in Bipolar Disorder and Neurocentrx supported our UKRI grant to test oral ketamine for anorexia nervosa with difficult to treat depression – an area of great unmet need.

Seekacure

Cannabidiol (CBD) is licensed for rare forms of childhood epilepsy and there is interest in developing CBD as a potential treatment in severe mental illness and adult epilepsy. There are two major challenges with the high doses of CBD being tested: low bioavailability and liver toxicity.

We worked with Seekacure to prioritise CBD being introduced in their lipid platform, acquired funding and conducted the successful phase I pharmacokinetic study. In collaboration with King’s College Hospital, we are moving forward in adult refractory epilepsy, an area of great unmet need and patient demand for novel therapeutics. If successful, we hope to continue supporting Seekacure in delivering cost effective treatments in areas of unmet need. 

Neurocrine

C-FIT worked with Neurocrine to develop their understanding of capabilities in the UK for first-in-patient trials. Neurocrine subsequently scoped UK sites and adopted the South London and Maudsley and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trusts for their phase I in-patient trial. 

Saladax

Clozapine is a widely used antipsychotic drug and is mainly administered to patients who do not respond to other antipsychotics. However, due to its serious side effects and complications it requires consistent blood test monitoring, resulting in frequent clinical check-ups and also a delay between sending blood samples for analysis and receiving the results. This makes it more difficult to manage the patients’ symptoms and control the optimal dosage.

C-FIT and researchers at the IoPPN and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust have worked with a diagnostic testing company to validate a portable blood test device to provide a more efficient, fast and easy-to use solution. This device allows clozapine levels to be accurately measured by drawing blood from a simple fingerpick device providing results in a few minutes.

The efficacy of this device is reflected on the experience reported by the 300 patients recruited in our study as well as the clinical health carers who were immediately able to recognise and regulate the clozapine levels. This allows for effective and safe administration of the drug, consequently increasing the administration of other pharmacotherapy drugs labelled as ‘high-risk’. Thus, by evaluating our new intervention we can bring precision to psychiatry to improve patient care. 

POC testing was subsequently adopted by a further 32 Trusts in UK. Read more about the impact of this project.

Fisic

Following our success with clozapine POC we partnered with a Dutch company to deliver lithium POC testing for which we received an award from the NIHR. We are in the process of evaluating the lithium POC in collaboration with the South London and Maudsley, Central and North West London and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts. 

Boehringer Ingelheim

C-FIT worked closely with this company to landscape our capabilities in supporting a programme of advanced research in cognition assessment tools (online tests, neuroimaging, EEG). We subsequently built a team to lead the partnership which has been running since 2021. 

Bipolar UK

C-FIT initiated the Bipolar Commission on Bipolar Disorder, which highlighted the importance of Bipolar Disorder and significant gaps in care and treatment. 

C-FIT also partnered with Bipolar UK on the largest survey of patients and their views on current and future treatments and treatment monitoring.