Malaria blood sieve receives £350,000 funding

£350,000 in seed funding has been secured to develop MediSieve a magnetic malaria filter

George Frodsham, inventor of MediSieve, attracted the backing from angel investors with expertise in the medical device and healthcare industries.

Treatment with MediSieve’s device involves no drugs or chemicals. Pre-clinical trials show that the 3D printed magnetic blood filter could extract up to 90% of infected cells from a person with malaria in under four hours.

Red blood cells infected with a malaria parasite have magnetic properties. This enables MediSieve’s device to capture them without affecting healthy cells.

Rapid removal of infected cells has the potential to reduce symptoms, severity and mortality. 

Around 207 million cases of malaria are diagnosed every year, claiming 600,000 lives. For many people, the disease is untreatable, either because diagnosis is too late or the strain is resistant to drugs currently available.

Frodsham said: “With this investment, we’re able to manufacture and test the first clinical prototype of the magnetic malaria filter for humans.

“This will put us in a fantastic position ahead of clinical trials. The backing also means MediSieve has experienced professionals in place to devise strategy and develop the business.”