Licensing of scientific discoveries from University of Cambridge and University of Edinburgh is aimed to speed translation and access to life-saving diagnostics for women worldwide.
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medicines360, a women's health innovation organization, today announced it has acquired global licensing rights to new technologies designed to accurately predict the risk of conditions responsible for 50% of stillbirths, including novel blood biomarkers from the University of Cambridge and non-invasive retinal imaging from the University of Edinburgh.
"We are thrilled to be able to bring these technologies from the discovery stage through development. Our goal is to create lifesaving, innovative products and make them broadly available to all women from day one," said Dr. Andrea Olariu, CEO of Medicines360. "Integrating these innovative risk assessment tools into routine prenatal care could dramatically reduce stillbirth rates globally."
The newly licensed technologies were discovered and funded through Wellcome Leap's In Utero program, a $50 million initiative to create scalable methods to measure, model, and predict gestational development. Medicines360 is collaborating with Wellcome Leap to translate scientific discoveries from their In Utero program into products that deliver precision insights across gestation, so that every pregnancy has the best chance of a healthy outcome. These include:
- The University of Cambridge's new blood-based biomarker discoveries, which could identify the risk of common conditions associated with stillbirth, such as fetal growth restriction, gestational diabetes mellitus, and preeclampsia.
- The University of Edinburgh's non-invasive retinal eye imaging technology, which aims to detect cardiovascular and metabolic changes during pregnancy.
Dr. Gordon Smith, Chair of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at the University of Cambridge and lead Principal Investigator of the In Utero discovery program said, "The current approach to assessing stillbirth risk has not changed in 50 years. Our technologies, discovered using exceptionally robust clinical data, can provide clinicians with comprehensive risk stratification at every stage of pregnancy. Ultimately, we believe this approach will save the lives of mothers and babies."
Globally, there are more than two million stillborn babies every year. In the U.S., more than one in 150 births end in stillbirth - a burden disproportionately affecting families in low-income areas.i,ii
"Drawing on the world-class imaging facilities and data-science expertise at the University of Edinburgh, retinal imaging may provide personalized insights throughout pregnancy to assist clinicians with risk assessment for stillbirth," said Dr. Rebecca Reynolds, Professor of Metabolic Medicine, the University of Edinburgh, who is being supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University's commercialization service. "This is key to early detection, diagnosis, and an individualized approach to intervention."
The licensing agreements advance the work of Medicines360's M360 ASPIRE (Advancing Stillbirth Prevention through Innovative Risk Evaluation) Program. The M360 ASPIRE Program is redefining pregnancy care by developing novel biomarker technologies that enable risk prediction for conditions associated with stillbirth, to guide timely, life-saving interventions.
The technologies described are under development and have not been approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other regulatory authorities.
About Medicines360
Medicines360 is a women's health innovation organization with a mission to be a catalyst for change, fearless in the pursuit of creative approaches to solving consequential women's health issues. Medicines360 transforms novel ideas into life-changing products that improve the lives of all women, with a focus on ensuring access from day one. For more information about Medicines360 and the 360 Innovation Hub, visit:?www.medicines360.org.
About Cambridge Enterprise
Cambridge Enterprise is the innovation arm of the University of Cambridge. Through Cambridge Enterprise, University of Cambridge research and expertise continue to deliver life-changing outcomes with world-changing impact. We provide the diverse support needed by researchers, innovators and talented teams tackling the challenges facing the world today. We connect, empower and enable the transformation of Cambridge research into purposeful social and economic global impacts.
About Edinburgh Innovations
Edinburgh Innovations is the University of Edinburgh's commercialisation service. We bring University of Edinburgh research to industry, working to identify ideas with value, and facilitating the process of bringing them to life in real-world applications. We make ideas work for a better world.
Contact:
hglasser@medicines360.org
ihttps://www.who.int/health-topics/stillbirthtab=tab_1accessed Sept. 15, 2025
iihttps://hsph.harvard.edu/news/stillbirths-in-the-u-s-higher-than-previously-reported-often-occur-with-no-clinical-risk-factors/
