Hyderabad: UoH start-up partners with alumni to pioneer cancer diagnostics

Hyderabad: Eliciton Innovation Pvt Ltd, a start-up incubated at ASPIRE BioNEST of the University of Hyderabad, has tied up with a US-based company to develop low-cost cancer diagnostic kits for breast cancer.

The start-up has already specialised in producing microbial-based nutritional supplements with enhanced health benefits beyond basic nutrition. The firm also has an expanded portfolio of human and animal diagnostics and planning to establish a diagnostic manufacturing facility at Medical Devices Park in Hyderabad.

Cancer researcher

In a strategic move to advance this new venture, the company has partnered with the US-based Vivi Biologics, founded by Dr Kiran Velpula, an acclaimed cancer researcher and a respected Peoria City Council member to validate and commercialise early cancer diagnostics.

Dr Velpula, an alumnus of the University of Hyderabad from the School of Life Sciences, is a professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria and head of the Velpula Neuro-Oncology Lab, is pioneering in cancer research focusing on new treatments and early diagnostic tools.

Cost-effective and accessible

The collaboration between Eliciton Innovation and Vivi Biologics was formalised through an MoU, emphasising their joint mission to develop early cancer detection technologies that are both cost-effective and accessible.

Cancer, a major global health challenge, necessitates innovations that can enhance early detection to improve patient outcomes and reduce treatment burdens. The primary goal of their partnership is to create novel diagnostic tools that can detect cancer at its earliest stages, facilitating timely and effective interventions.

To this end, a new entity named Vivigen Bio Labs has been established and incubated at ASPIRE-BioNEST. This collaborative effort aims to democratise cancer diagnostics and significantly improve global health outcomes in oncology through innovative solutions.