Our Ideas
At SRS Life Sciences, we pursue innovation that is ultimately capable of reducing disease burden.
We are constantly thinking about and initiating new ideas that can change what is possible for the health of people living in emerging nations.
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Hypertension
Anemia
Neonatal Sepsis
NCD Breakthrough Treatment
Increasing survival for children with pneumonia with the world’s first AI-enabled differential diagnostic solution.
The issue
2019
Globally in 2019, an estimated 5.2 million children under the age of five died mostly from preventable and treatable causes1 - 80% of these children lived in emerging nations
Deaths
Almost a quarter of deaths in children under the age of five are caused by pneumonia 2
Symptoms
Symptoms of pneumonia are similar to that of cold and flu, making it difficult to diagnose rapidly and treat effectively
Care
Globally, only 54% with symptoms of pneumonia receive the care they need 3
Looking to the future
The combined solution of iARD and Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablets (Amox-DT) will be rolled out in India and SEA by end-2021
Our Solution and Impact
We are working to further empower healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat pneumonia in children via:
Intelligent Algorithm for Respiratory Disease (iARD)
The world’s first artificially intelligent enabled stethoscope system, which collects data to feed into an intelligent algorithm for respiratory diseases (iARD) that can deliver a more rapid and accurate diagnosis.
Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablets (Amox-DT)
An approved first line of antibiotics for community acquired pneumonia in children between two and 59 months.
Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablets (Amox-DT) formulations are easy to consume by children – either via a dissolvable tablet or pre-filled syringe. Both formulations are low-cost to ensure accessibility.
- 1WHO. Children: Improving survival and well-being. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/children-reducing-mortality. Last accessed January 2
- 2IMHE, Global Burden of Disease
- 3Kallander K, et al. (2016). Early identification and treatment of pneumonia: a call to action. Lancet Global Health 4(1): e12-e13. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5357734/. Last accessed January 2021.
Reducing burden of tuberculosis via the world’s first food for special medical purposes (FSMP)
The issue
Every 22 seconds
a person dies from tuberculosis4
In 2019 alone
an estimated 10 million people contracted tuberculosis and 1.4 million people died as a result 5
Resistant
While interventions exist for tuberculosis, an estimated 4.1% of people who contract it are resistant to treatment – and this figure is expected to increase
Looking to the future
We aim to make TBMune™ available to people in an additional 10 emerging nations before 2022
Our Solution and Impact
We have made available and continue to expand access to TBMune™, the world’s first every clinically-proven FSMP that triggers an immune response which protects against bacteria, decreasing the risk of developing and spreading tuberculosis
TBMune™ comes in different formats – tablet and sachets – for better compliance
It is currently available for registration in 15 high-burden countries in Asia and Africa.
- 4TB Alliance. Available at www.tballiance.org. Last accessed January 2021
- 5WHO. Tuberculosis. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tuberculosis. Last accessed January 2021
The first autophagy aid to support cardiovascular health
The issue
High blood pressure
is a serious medical condition that significantly increases the risks of other cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke
1.13 billion people
An estimated 1.13 billion people worldwide have high blood pressure6
Two-thirds of people
with high blood pressure are in low and middle-income countries and fewer than one in five people have their condition under control, which is a major cause of premature death worldwide
Looking to the future
A study in Austria is ongoing to confirm the effect of spermidine as a natural substance to determine its use to reverse the effects of hypertension and is expected to be completed by 2021.
Our Solution and Impact
SpermidineLIFE®
With the use of advanced technology, we are harnessing an existing natural compound, spermidine, from wheat germ (food that contains the highest quantity of spermidine) to be used as a dietary supplement in the form of a capsule
Studies have shown that spermidine can help lower blood pressure and subsequently reduce the risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases7
- 6WHO. Hypertension. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension. Last accessed January 2021.
- 7Eisenberg T, et al. (2017). Dietary spermidine for lowering high blood pressure. Autophagy 13(4).
Tackling anemia burden via a breakthrough technology to deliver ferretin orally
The issue
1.62 billion people
Globally, about 1.62 billion people are currently affected by anemia8
Chronic diseases
can also cause iron deficiency anemia – chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease
Left untreated
anemia can have a significant impact on health as well as productivity, resulting from lasting fatigue
Looking to the future
A study on nutritional deficiency anemia correction commenced in India at the end of 2020, and is expected to be completed by end 2021
Our Solution
BioFE
We are developing a cost-effective formulation to tackle iron deficiency in combination with B12 and folic acid
- 8de Benois B, et al. Worldwide prevalence of anemia
Minimising newborn sepsis and NEC risk via probiotic development
The issue
Neonatal sepsis
is the third leading cause of neonatal mortality
First week of life
It is responsible for 13% of all neonatal mortality, and 42% of deaths happen in the first week of life
Developing countries
lack sepsis surveillance and reporting systems, meaning the real impact could be much higher
Looking to the future
Infloran focused on neonatal population is already under registration in various countries and we intend to register this product in all high impact countries in 2021. (India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, Columbia)
Our Solution
Infloran and Bifidobacterium Breve M-16V
Rebuilding gut flora in pre-term infants to prevent neonatal sepsis and NEC9,10
- 9Lin HC, et al. (2008). Oral probiotics prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight preterm infants: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Pediatrics 122(4):693-700.
- 10Deshpande GC, et al. (2011). Evidence-based guidelines for use of probiotics in preterm neonates. BMC Med 2(9):92.
World’s first 4D bioprinting solution for diabetic foot ulcers
The issue
Diabetic foot ulcers (DFU)
are an urgent global health concern. Left untreated, DFUs can lead to lower limb amputations, which currently occurs in up to 85% of patients – a result of chronic infection and severe gangrene.
Globally
the prevalence rate of DFUs is 6.3%. North America shows the highest prevalence rate at 13.0%, followed by Africa (7.2%), Asia (5.5%) and Europe (5.1%).11
Loss of productivity
In addition to the direct expenditure towards treating DFUs, there is also indirect expenditure in the form of loss of productivity, impact on family and caregivers, and loss of quality of life.12
Looking to the future
4D bioprinting technology has the ability to create human organs, such as skin, cartilage, and bone tissue – and treating DFUs is only the beginning.
Imagine a 4D bioprinting service in a hospital that can renew your damaged or worn-out body parts. The human body is composed of cells, proteins, and extracellular materials that we can also use as bioink to regenerate organs.
Therefore, we can regrow the injured body back to its original shape and function.
Our Solution
We are working on a world’s first – a treatment for DFU that uses Bioprinted Skin Patches:
The process begins with fat tissue taken from the patient (for example through liposuction). This fat tissue sample is then used to prepare an extracellular matrix (ECM) mixture to form a “bioink”. A “bioink” is a mixture of materials and cells. The “bioink” is loaded into a 4D bioprinter, ROKIT’s Dr. INVIVO, to produce a dermal patch. Lastly, the damaged tissue is removed and replaced with the patch.
Most patients will show a complete closure of the wound in 2 to 5 weeks*.
The key to this new form of treatment is ROKIT’s Dr. INVIVO 4D bioprinter, which provides a fast regeneration solution for customized treatment of DFUs.
* This is in comparison to conventional treatments for DFUs, which can take months to heal and require multiple rounds of treatment or an extended period of observation.
- 11Zhang P, et al. (2016). Global epidemiology of diabetic foot ulceration: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine 49 (2): 106-116. Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2016.1231932. Last accessed March 2022.
- 12Shearer, A. (2003). Predicted costs and outcomes from reduced vibration detection in people with diabetes in the U.S. Diabetes Care 26(8): 2305-2310. Available at https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/26/8/2305/22725/Predicted-Costs-and-Outcomes-From-Reduced. Last accessed March 2022.
