Case ID: 13-016
Web Published: Mar 01, 2011
Intellectual Property Status: A patent claiming these novel markers is currently at PCT. The priority patent application was filed on 2nd December 2009.
Summary
UCL researchers have identified two bio-markers that differentiate women who miscarry during pregnancy from those who do not miscarry among a group of high-risk patients.
The Technology and its Advantages
Currently there are no validated biochemical tests to predict a subsequent miscarriage in early pregnancy. Many pregnant women exhibit symptoms of miscarriage called ‘threatened miscarriage’. Almost ten percent of these women have a miscarriage and the rest have a live birth at term.
We have used a simple ELISA best test to measure two biomarkers in early pregnancy in patients with symptoms of with threatened miscarriage. Women who subsequently have a miscarriage have significantly different levels of these two proteins in maternal circulation than women who do not miscarry.
Market Opportunity
In the UK, approximately 20% of pregnant women exhibit symptoms of ‘threatened miscarriage’. If physicians could narrow this down to a smaller group, they could provide prophylactic treatment and also closely monitor and counsel them.
A predictive test for early miscarriage versus ongoing pregnancy based upon the biomarkers we have identified would be of significant value to health care providers, helping them focus resources on high-risk patients and reassure low-risk patients who exhibit symptoms of threatened miscarriage.
This would particularly be relevant to the expanding patient pool of patients who undergo in vitro fertilisation.
Further Information
Please contact Dr Chris Williams, Business Manager T: +44 (0)20 7679 9000 E: c.williams@uclb.com
