Tecrea’s mission to offer more choice to women facing recurrent urinary tract infections
Tecrea is developing a non-antibiotic and locally administered therapy, providing an alternative treatment pathway for people who experience recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs). This case study outlines how Tecrea is aiming to improve health outcomes by putting patients at the heart of their product.
Providing an alternative to antibiotics
Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) are a serious issue affecting many women globally. In the UK, 147,000 unplanned hospital admissions were associated with UTIs, with around 23,000 due to rUTIs. Despite being a long-standing problem, the standard treatment with antibiotics has remained unchanged for years, proving insufficient, causing numerous side effects, and contributing to the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Tecrea’s antimicrobial formulation targets the infection at its root through bladder instillation and has no clinically relevant mechanisms of resistance, aiming to eradicate the infection without relying on antibiotics. Many bacteria are now resistant to antibiotics, which have proven insufficient and unsuitable for many individuals who have become unresponsive to conventional treatments.
The solution also seeks to reduce rUTIs, prevent long-term complications, decrease hospital visits for recurrent infections, and combat the rise of AMR. Our goal is to provide an effective alternative for the patients who have been let down by the standard of care and need an effective alternative.
The challenges of FemTech underfunding
Having personally experienced rUTIs and witnessed the challenges others face - especially with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the exhausting trial-and-error process of finding an effective antibiotic - I am very familiar with this disease. Recognising the need for an alternative, we decided to be the force of change.
However, as a small to medium sized company (SME), securing funding is crucial for us to develop the best product to solve this problem and help patients. Since recurrent UTIs fall within the FemTech area, the funding challenge is even greater due to frequent underfunding.
Additionally, our product is intended as an alternative to the recurrent use of antibiotics, so we are targeting the NHS to adopt our innovation. This can be a barrier, as the NHS can be very confusing to navigate and it is important that we identify the appropriate department, pathway or clinicians in order to position the solution for success.
Establishing a clear pathway for success with Accelerating FemTech
Through the programme, we received invaluable assistance in navigating the UK health system, identifying key contacts, and establishing a clear path for our product's success. We engaged in numerous conversations with clinicians and specialists who provided feedback on our formulation, allowing us to perfect it. These discussions also broadened our perspective on potential future applications of our formulation, enabling us to impact a wider group of people.
As a research scientist and the main connection between our project and the programme, I highly recommend this programme. Through it, I have acquired many skills that will help me manage this project and future ones. I have also built a strong network of inspiring innovators who participated in the programme and have been very supportive.
Additionally, the closed call for feasibility funding through the Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst is particularly appealing, as securing funding is one of the biggest challenges we face as a SME.
Putting patients and clinicians at the heart of our product
During this programme, we have achieved the following:
- Consulted with numerous clinicians and patients to finalise our formulation based on their feedback regarding the needs of those suffering from rUTIs.
- Engaged with various regulatory consultants to discuss strategies for interacting with the MHRA and other authorities, ensuring our solution reaches patients swiftly and effectively.
Next steps
Our next steps depend on securing funding for a feasibility study. This funding would enable us to strengthen our case with regulatory consultants, prepare for MHRA engagement, and conduct in vitro testing of our current formulation.
Tecrea is part of Accelerating FemTech. Cohort two of the programme runs from November 2024 to March 2025.
Accelerating FemTech is delivered by the Health Innovation Network (HIN) South London, DigitalHealth.London and partners from across the UK. It utilises Innovate UK funding as part of the Biomedical Catalyst, in collaboration with the Medical Research Council.
