Welsh Secretary has seen the work of a
Chepstow-based company developing technology that could prove
valuable in the fight against Covid-19.
On his first official engagement in Wales since the easing of
coronavirus lockdown restrictions, Mr Hart visited Creo Medical,
where he heard how the company will use a £2m Cardiff Capital
Region investment to develop its Cool Plasma technology which the
company says has been shown to be effective in inactivating and
decontaminating the Covid-19 virus.
In response to the pandemic Creo Medical will prioritise
developing pioneering technology that meets the urgent needs
created by Covid-19, including sterilisation of PPE and medical
equipment.
The £2m loan, repayable over five years, has been provided by the
Cardiff Capital Region. The UK Government is committed to
supporting ground-breaking research and development in Wales and
has committed £500million to the Cardiff Capital Region, helping
them to support innovative companies such as Creo Medical.
The Welsh Secretary was also shown Creo’s range of advanced
energy surgical endoscopy products. Products that are already
being used to revolutionise bowel cancer treatment and could soon
be used to treat other forms of cancer, such as lung and
pancreatic cancer.
Secretary of State for Wales said:
It is fantastic to see Welsh companies stepping up to the
challenges created by this pandemic and developing technology
that can make a real difference in the fight against Covid-19.
The Cardiff Capital Region’s £2 million investment will boost
the innovative research that is already taking place at Creo
Medical and help enhance south Wales’ position as a leader in
the development of medical technology.
Craig Gulliford, Chief Executive Officer of Creo, said:
We were very pleased to welcome the Secretary of State for
Wales to our facilities here in Chepstow. We are proud to have
taken our expertise in developing innovative medical devices
and applied them to our plasma technology to develop products
that could help halt the spread of Coronavirus.
Wales has a strong reputation for producing technology rich and
innovative life sciences companies and I am delighted we have
established a platform to develop critical medical tools here
in the UK that will benefit cancer patients worldwide, and to
protect our nation against a resurgence of COVID-19.
Peter Fox, Leader of Monmouthshire County Council and Vice Chair of
Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet, said:
Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet is delighted to support Creo
Medical in developing their Cool Plasma technology. This
tremendous innovation in sterilisation couldn’t have come
forward at a better time and this new technology will be a game
changer in killing bacteria and viruses and has already proved
that it can be effective against COVID-19.
The MedTech industry is a key area of development and
opportunity for the Cardiff Capital Region. It is fantastic we
have Creo in our midst – a leading light in medical science.
Providing this loan ensures this crucial technology can be
developed at speed.
Our region is an exciting place to be and our City Deal stands
ready to unlock further opportunity. We are so pleased to be
working with forward thinking companies such as Creo medical
and we look forward to working with them.
Creo Medical’s expertise as an innovative medical device designer
has been established through its range of advanced energy
surgical devices that can be used endoscopically to safely treat
a wide range of gastrointestinal complications including the
early signs of bowel cancer. Pioneered in the UK by leading NHS
endoscopists, the use of Creo’s first product, Speedboat has been
demonstrated to save NHS hospitals nearly £5,000 per procedure
versus traditional surgical techniques. Creo’s technology allows
operations that previously took place under general anaesthetic
to be done quickly and safely as outpatient procedures –
providing benefits for the NHS in terms of economics and reducing
waiting lists, but also providing better outcomes for patients.
