Luminate Medical - the startup aiming to end chemotherapy induced hair loss

by Startacus Admin

The lowdown on Luminate Medical, the Galway-based startup that has developed an innovative device to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy

Though some of us at Startacus might not know it, for a lot of people their hair is a part of their identity. Hair loss is also one of the most well known and recognised side-effects of chemotherapy, and one which 47% of patients say - according to today’s startup - is one of the most traumatic parts of the treatment. It’s a dramatic change in appearance that, among other things, serves as a visual reminder of what they are undergoing, and it can be a blow to confidence for many people. For those people, it would be good to have something to help prevent this side-effect of chemotherapy.

Galway-based medtech startup Luminate Medical has created a device for people to wear while undergoing chemotherapy that will help prevent hair loss. Their wearable solution is a compression cap that temporarily restricts blood flow to the hair follicles - while still being comfortable to wear - and therefore prevents the chemotherapy drugs from reaching them and damaging them. This temporary restriction does not have any harmful effects on hair and scalp, and the device works currently with most hair types and lengths. This should hopefully change in the future as they refine the product and find ways to make it work with any kind of hair.

So far, tests have been carried out on animals and on healthy humans, and are progressing towards full human trials. They are attempting to bring the price of these devices down so that they equal the approximate price of a wig, which is something that medical insurance covers, making it a viable alternative for insurers to pay out for, rather than having to come from the patient’s pocket. Luminate Medical is looking into raising funds from outside of their current government backing, which will help their eventual US launch after approval by the FDA.

It might sound like something small and the least of the worries of someone undergoing chemotherapy, but something like this device could actually provide mental and emotional support to a lot of people in a difficult time.

If you’re interested in the health and medtech sectors, why not check out some of these innovative startups that we’ve featured recently such as Zedsen who have developed technology to monitor the user’s bloodstream by using sensors that simply sit on top of the skin and Abtrace, the startup that's created an AI solution to help clinicians make more informed decisions.

 

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Published on: 15th October 2021