UpFront Diagnostics has secured more than £790,000 in funding to advance the development and evaluation of its rapid blood test for the early detection of Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) strokes — the most disabling and life-threatening type of stroke.
This project represents a significant step toward improving stroke care pathways by enabling faster, more accurate triage, especially in pre-hospital and emergency settings.
The Problem: Delays in Treatment for LVO Stroke
LVO strokes occur when a major artery in the brain is blocked by a clot. Though they make up only 30% of all strokes, they account for the vast majority of stroke-related deaths and long-term disabilities.
Access to mechanical thrombectomy, the only effective treatment for LVO, is limited in the UK to just 24 specialist regional hospitals. This means most patients are first transported to non-specialist hospitals — resulting in delays, secondary transfers, and in many cases, missed opportunities for life-saving intervention.
The Solution: A Portable, Biomarker-Based Blood Test
UpFront Diagnostics has developed a diagnostic approach based on two blood biomarkers, which can accurately detect whether a patient has suffered an LVO stroke.
Following an initial Phase 1 SBRI Healthcare grant in February 2022, the company successfully advanced its research into a portable test prototype. Now, with Phase 2 funding secured in January 2023, UpFront is scaling production and evaluating its accuracy across a real-world patient population.
Key Collaborators and Clinical Research Partners
This project is being conducted in collaboration with:
- Professor Chris Price and Dr Lisa Shaw of the Newcastle University Stroke Research Group
- Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC)
- NIHR Clinical Research Network (North East and North Cumbria)
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Northumbria University
- North East Ambulance Service
- Abingdon Health
- Qarad
The Newcastle team is supporting clinical evaluation through:
- Statistical analysis
- Health economics modelling
- Public and patient input via its insight panel
“The test could allow direct ambulance transfer of eligible patients to regional stroke centres, reducing time to treatment, improving outcomes, and significantly lowering healthcare costs.”
National Impact and Strategic Support
The SBRI Healthcare competition that funded this project was developed in collaboration with:
- The Stroke Association
- The AHSN Network
- The Accelerated Access Collaborative
In total, over £5 million was awarded to seven innovations supporting stroke patients — with LVOne positioned as a leading solution for severe stroke triage and emergency care transformation.
With this funding and research support, LVOne is moving closer to becoming a standard tool in stroke triage.
