OncoRes Medical revolutionising breast cancer surgery

The company is improving patient outcomes with support from our Biomedical Translation Fund venture capital program and Cooperative Research Centres Projects program.

OncoRes Medical is a medical device company developing a new digital imaging technology to revolutionise breast cancer surgery. Two programs from our department supported this company to develop this technology.

Founded in 2016, OncoRes Medical created a handheld probe that surgeons can use to identify cancerous tissue remaining inside the patient. The device supercharges a surgeon’s sense of touch and provides them with more real time data. This enables surgeons to remove all cancerous tissues at the first instance, leading to better patient outcomes.

Transcript

[Music starts. The opening title page shows a blue panel with the Australia Government, Department of Industry, Science and Resources and Department of Health and Aged Care crest and logos appear in stack format. The panel also shows the video title and subtitle: OncoRes Medical Brandon Capital, Venture Capital Case Study Series.]

Dr Katherine Giles and a colleague wearing their company’s uniform appear in front of a computer, followed by an image of Dr Giles speaking to the camera. Her full name, title, company position and company name appear on the screen: Dr Katharine Giles, Venture Partner, Brandon Capital.]

Dr Katherine Giles:  OncoRes Medical is a medical device company, and we're looking to develop a new imaging technology to revolutionise cancer surgery.

[An image of Dr Simon Graindorge in a white lab coat talking with other colleagues in white lab coats appear on the screen, followed by Dr Graindorge speaking to the camera. His full name, title, company position and company name appear: Dr Simon Graindorge, Chief Operating Officer, OncoRes Medical.]

Dr Simon Graindorge: I think first and foremost, we’re about patients and improving outcomes for patients, and particularly in our case initially for breast cancer patients.

[An image of hands going through different samples on petrie dishes on a table appears, followed by lab technicians/staff in lab coats placing some of the samples under a microscope. Dr Giles is speaking in the background, then the Image shifts to Dr Giles talking to the camera.]

Dr Giles: Our device effectively supercharges the surgeon’s sense of touch, and it will produce an image that’s a micro-scale map of tissue stiffness.

[A lab technician is showing an apparatus or device contained in a padded briefcase to other lab staff. The device resembles a hose with a long metal nozzle. A plastic looking cap is screwed on at the tip of nozzle. The nozzle is then held over the different petrie dishes of samples shown earlier. Dr Graindorge speaks in the background.]

Dr Graindorge: And our probe is really quantifying that sense of touch and giving them an extra bit of information so they can be even more successful in the phenomenal job that they already do.

[Image briefly returns to Dr Giles speaking then moves to staff working in front of their desktop computers at the OncoRes office. Dr Giles speaks in the background.] 

Dr Giles: Often, research, great innovations at the university will struggle to get funds to spin out and Brandon has the courage to go and invest incredibly early in those.

[Image returns to Dr Graindorge.]

Dr Graindorge: Probably original seeds for the ideas that were probably the best part of 10 to 15 years ago.

[Image returns to Dr Giles with other staff working at their workstations at the OncoRes office, then to her speaking to the camera.]

Dr Giles: And then ultimately, Brandon made an investment and founded the company in 2016…

[Image goes back to a staff at OncoRes showing graphs on a computer screen, other staff working with Dr Giles, Dr Graindorge and their colleagues, staff placing on their lab coats and going to different rooms in the office. Dr Giles and Dr Graindorge take turns to speak in the background as these images are shown.]

Dr Graindorge [continuing on from Dr Giles statement]: on the back of a lot of research and some of those original ideas.

Dr Giles: They then supported us in further rounds of funding, and most recently in the series A2 Extension through the Biomedical Translation Fund.

Dr Graindorge: I think without an investment of risk capital at the beginning, things like this don't happen at all. They never see the light of day. And that's exactly where venture capital fits in. And Brandon Capital is a venture fund that specialises in that area in life sciences. So it was a pretty natural fit from the beginning.

[Image returns to Dr Giles speaking to the camera, then goes back to Dr Graindorge in a white lab coat working with other staff in a lab. They are seen looking at different specimen samples in petrie dishes under a microscope or having discussions amongst themselves. Dr Giles continues to speak in the background.]

Dr Giles: Funds like the Biomedical Translation Fund are essential for us to be able to retain those incredible Australian innovations in Australia and realise the benefits both economic and in terms of health outcomes. OncoRes technology has the potential to create an incredible positive impact on society into the future.

[Image returns to Dr Graindorge speaking to the camera, then going back to him in a lab coat working with colleagues, and finally facing the camera smiling with arms folded. He continues to speak in the background.]

Dr Graindorge: I think another very big impact for us is that this was invented in Australia and we want to manufacture and develop it in Australia and export it to the world.

[Image returns to Dr Giles speaking to the camera, then goes back to her working with other staff with desktop computers at the OncoRes office. She walks towards the camera and smiles with folded arms.]

Dr Giles: 17 million people diagnosed with solid cancers every year. Our technology has the ability to produce better outcomes for those patients by ensuring that surgeons can manage to remove all of the cancer the first time.

[Video ends with a final blue panel showing the Australian Government, Department of Industry, Science and Resources and Department of Health and Aged Care crest and logos in stack format as before, but with the following text:

The Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources is delivering the Biomedical Translation Fund on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 

This URL also appears: business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/venture-capital]

The Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF) is a venture capital program we deliver on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care. The BTF supported OncoRes Medical through Brandon Capital, one of its licensed private venture capital fund managers. Brandon Capital manages one of the BTF’s funds. From this fund they invested $4.1 million into OncoRes Medical, giving them an equity stake in the company. 

The Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program provided grants to OncoRes and its research organisation partners (University of Western Australia, South Metropolitan Health Service and Linear Clinical Research Ltd). It provided a 3-year CRC-P grant worth $3 million in December 2018 and another $3 million grant in 2022 to run until 2025.

Thanks to these programs, OncoRes Medical has been able to:

  • improve the design of the device
  • conduct clinical trials and further research
  • establish pilot scale manufacturing
  • attract more local investors. 

Funds from the programs will also enable the company to look for premises to manufacture the device in Australia and export it to overseas markets.