Queen Mary University of London has launched a new spinout, Procyon Diagnostics, to take omics-based single cancer early detection tests from research to reality. Cancer causes over a quarter of deaths in England. Early detection offers the best hope of survival.
Procyon launched with an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by Queen Mary University of London, joined by Source Bioscience and a network of experienced life sciences and diagnostics angel investors. The investment will fund the UK launch, regulatory preparation and international expansion of Procyon's first product, PancRISK, planned for early 2026.
PancRISK is a pancreatic cancer test built on fifteen years of research and innovation led by Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic, a leading expert in molecular pathology and biomarkers at Queen Mary's Barts Cancer Institute, with funding from the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund.
Dr Tony Cooke, Procyon's Chief Executive Officer said:
"This is a milestone moment for precision oncology diagnostics. Investor interest in Procyon exceeded our target, underlining the demand for practical, high-accuracy cancer detection. PancRISK will be the first of many single-cancer early detection tests commercialised by Procyon."
Invented by Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic at Queen Mary University of London, PancRISK uses machine learning to analyse biomarkers from blood and urine, making it far more effective than any other test in use or development, many of which rely on blood alone. It will be the world's first available pancreatic cancer test of this kind suitable for regular checkups.
The underlying science was published in Clinical Cancer Research, and the test is currently being validated through a multi-centre clinical trial, UroPanc. Procyon's exclusive worldwide license covers the patented test, machine learning algorithm and trademark.
Procyon has formed a strategic partnership with Personalised Diagnostics Limited for the user interface, secure digital storage and algorithmic analysis. Source Bioscience will provide testing services and help in managing partner laboratories to scale up testing.
Professor Tatjana Crnogorac-Jurcevic, Professor of Molecular Pathology and Biomarkers at Queen Mary University of London, and Chief Scientific Officer at Procyon, said:
"Cancer survival depends heavily upon early detection. By detecting early on, our tests could save thousands of lives each year and make regular surveillance a realistic possibility. By establishing Procyon as a new spinout, we can bring these tests to patients as soon as possible."
Procyon aims to be a lead provider of biomarker technologies for detecting early-stage cancers, with target markets including Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Alongside testing, Procyon will use the data collected for further research to develop more new non-invasive tests, primarily based on body fluids such as blood and urine.
Dr Phil Clare, Chief Executive of Queen Mary Innovation, said:
"Procyon exemplifies the type of investable, impact-driven spinout we're creating at Queen Mary. The company combines world-class academic research with commercial leadership and investor backing from the start. Their activity will bring immense benefits to patients and their families."
The quality of Queen Mary's medical and life science research is world-leading, with the third highest citations per paper globally in 2025 according to QS.
Discover more innovation from Queen Mary University of London by following Queen Mary Innovation on LinkedIn.
