The NLC Health Impact Fund

MLA Diagnostics improves melanoma diagnosis, offering personalized measurement of malignancy levels. Traditional diagnosis often leads to overtreatment or undertreatment, resulting in patient distress or undetected cancer progression. By analyzing methylation, our test provides accurate prognosis, enabling tailored treatment plans and saving lives. With the melanoma therapeutics market on the rise, our innovative solution is poised to make a significant impact, improve patient outcomes and create opportunities.

Spinal cord Injury represents a large unmet medical need with approximately 1.2M new cases per year resulting mainly from motor vehicle accidents, falls and water related accidents. Currently available treatments only offer symptomatic relief but do not target the underlying pathophysiologic changes. The spinal cord injury market is predicted to reach US$3B by 2025. MLP-1236 is a First in class dual inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 9 and MMP 12 and has already completed Phase 1 and Phase 2a clinical studies. In preclinical models, MLP-1236 was effective in preventing/reversing the neurodegeneration associated with spinal cord injury and ischemic stroke.

The challenge with lung cancer lies in its late detection, often leading to unfortunate outcomes. Current screening methods like low-dose CT scans are costly and have radiation risks, while blood tests lack accuracy or are too expensive. Our solution offers a non-invasive blood test that detects lung cancer early with high sensitivity and specificity. This test, with its multi-protein panel, can identify even stage I cancer, improving survival rates and reducing unnecessary procedures.

NLC's venture, Profionics, advances Cardiff University's sepsis research with a biomarker test combining AI, gene expression, and metabolic analysis for rapid, accurate diagnosis. This test, which works in under 30 minutes with a drop of blood, surpasses traditional methods by quickly identifying those needing antibiotics and reducing unnecessary use, thus combating antimicrobial resistance and saving lives. Particularly impactful in neonatal care, it ensures timely detection critical for newborn survival. Founded by NLC, Cardiff University, and CEO Darren Fergus, Profionics leverages extensive research and a blood sample BioBank, positioning itself as a leader in host response diagnostic testing.

Sanmirna is pioneering a first-in-class microRNA inhibitor - Miristen™ - designed to eliminate leukemia stem cells while preserving healthy hematopoiesis. In December 2025, Miristen™ began dosing relapsing/resistant patients in a Phase Ia/Ib study. The study is expected to complete in 2026. Sanmirna is now planning pivotal studies in accord with FDA guidelines.

Intercept TX is developing a first-in-class, orally available small-molecule therapy targeting the RAGE/DIAPH1 pathway, a central but underexploited disease axis in chronic metabolic and inflammatory conditions including type 2 diabetes, obesity and MASH. While existing treatments manage symptoms, they fail to address underlying disease progression. Intercept TX's approach targets the root of metabolic stress, inflammation and fibrosis, in a single platform with applicability across multiple high-value, multi-billion-euro markets.

Epilepsy causes uncontrolled seizures, greatly reducing quality of life and sometimes leading to early death. Over 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, but only two-thirds respond to medication. For those with drug-resistant epilepsy, treatment options are limited and often ineffective. MIR Therapeutics is developing a new gene therapy to provide lasting and powerful seizure control for drug-resistant epilepsy patients. Their therapy delivers microRNA-335 to the affected brain regions using an AAV9 viral vector, which helps control hyperexcitability by regulating voltage-gated sodium channels. This results in fewer and less severe seizures.

Nilocas offers a revolutionary solution for detecting coronary artery disease non-invasively and without radiation. Patients wear a lightweight chest patch that captures the sounds of turbulent blood flow through arteries using microphones and accelerometers. Advanced machine learning and AI rapidly analyze the data, providing a clear diagnosis in just 10 minutes. This innovation eliminates the need for costly and invasive procedures, making cardiac diagnosis more accessible in both clinical and non-clinical settings.