Lant Medical has successfully secured seed funding to design a clinical trial for a groundbreaking non-antibiotic treatment targeting Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori), the most common pathogenic bacteria in the world. An estimated 50% of the global population is infected, yet current treatment options remain limited and problematic.
Lant Medical is pioneering a breakthrough solution: a non-antibiotic treatment designed to eradicate H. Pylori safely and effectively. This new investment will facilitate the necessary clinical trials to validate the treatments efficacy.
Additionally, Lant Medical is working alongside the NHS to improve access to H. Pylori testing, allowing patients to obtain a test without the need for repeated GP visits. The company strongly advises anyone experiencing persistent indigestion to request an H. Pylori test before taking long-term medication that may have lasting side effects.
Joanne Lant, CEO, Lant Medical, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Innovate UK for providing grant funding, to our angel investors for their belief and investment, and to UMI for making this possible. This funding marks a crucial step in our mission to develop a safer, more effective approach to treating H. Pylori and improving global health.”
H. Pylori is the leading cause of peptic ulcers and is found in 95% of gastric cancer biopsies. Despite its prevalence, early symptoms such as indigestion are often overlooked. Many sufferers self-medicate with over-the-counter remedies like Gaviscon or Rennie, while others are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which top the NHS’s most-prescribed drug list in both primary and secondary care. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warnings regarding the long-term side effects of PPI overuse.
H. Pylori testing is not standard NHS protocol for indigestion patients. A recent survey found that on average, it took seven GP visits for patients to receive a test for H. Pylori. The current global standard treatment triple or quadruple therapy with multiple antibiotics and a PPI poses increasing challenges, including rising antibiotic resistance and severe side effects. With penicillin resistance first reported just a year after its clinical use began, there is an urgent need for alternative treatments.
