Animal Health Angels backing innovation to tackle antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the defining challenges of our time. It affects animal health and welfare in practice and has profound potential consequences for human health. As vets, we understand the pressure to reduce reliance on antibiotics while still safeguarding our patients. Animal Health Angels, a group of veterinary and animal health professionals supporting early-stage innovation, has announced recent backing for three companies developing practical solutions to tackle AMR and antibiotic use in clinical settings: Zonova, FluoretiQ and NoBACZ.
Wendy Furness, Co-founder, Animal Health Angels says “AMR is not a distant or abstract problem – it is a key issue of our time. These companies are producing real world solutions that can reduce antibiotic use while still protecting animal and human health. For us, supporting innovation in this area is not a luxury, it is an essential.”
Zonova Technologies is creating integrated novel antimicrobial materials designed to resist bacterial colonisation on medical and veterinary devices such as cannulas, urinary catheters and endotracheal tubes. By tackling infection risk at source, Zonova’s technology aims to reduce the need for antibiotic intervention. This approach has direct application in both human and animal health helping prevent infection before it takes hold. Georgia Fleet, CEO of Zonova adds “Medical devices are often overlooked in innovation, yet they’re fundamental to how healthcare is delivered across both human and animal health. With so many infections linked back to these devices, it only makes sense to embed antimicrobial technology at this point. At Zonova, we’re integrating our technology across a wide range of devices to reduce infections and antibiotic use - providing an active, low-cost solution, that truly shifts the focus from treatment to prevention”.
FluoretiQ, a University of Bristol spin-out, is developing rapid diagnostics to guide antibiotic prescribing decisions in real time. Their NANOPLEX™ technology can detect and identify bacteria in minutes, while SCFI uses advanced optics and AI to assess antibiotic susceptibility within half an hour.
For veterinary practices, this could transform how cases such as urinary tract infections are managed, cutting down on empirical prescribing and supporting more targeted treatment. FluoretiQ has already developed VERI-5 VET, a diagnostic system designed specifically for veterinary use.
Neciah Dorh CEO of FluoretiQ notes “the urgency for action in animal health is amplified due to limited treatment options, impact of untargeted treatment on pet welfare and an increasing number of cases. We’re pleased to work with Animal Health Angels to ensure that vets have the tests they need to make their first prescription, the right prescription”.
Cambridge-based NoBACZ Healthcare has created a patented platform of barrier technologies. They can be applied as gels or liquids, instantly providing a flexible and waterproof layer. They are biofilm resistant and repel microbes and debris, giving tissue the chance to heal without immediate reliance on antibiotics. Already being used in livestock and farm settings, and now on horses with a recently launched equine product, these solutions are designed to be easy to use, cost-effective, and scalable.
Professor Jonathan Powell, CEO of NoBACZ Healthcare, added NoBACZ's liquid-apply barriers can be used alongside antiseptics and antibiotics – though often these are not required. It is increasingly clear that an optimal wound healing environment, where moisture is maintained but the external environment locked out, is key to rapid wound healing. Antibiotics should be preserved for the times that they are truly essential.
Dr Mark Binns, also a co-founder of Animal Heath Angels says “Vets are on the frontline of stewardship. We see the consequences of AMR – longer recovery times, limited treatment options, and welfare implications. Supporting companies that can prevent infection, enable faster diagnosis and reduce antibiotic use is not just important; it’s vital and not only for the future of veterinary practice.”