The University of Reading

THURSDAY, April 2, 2026 — A new rapid urine test could lead to more targeted and effective treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI), researchers say. It currently takes labs two to three days to determine which antibiotic would work best against an individual’s UTI. But the new test can turn around results in just under six hours, creating the potential for same-day antibiotic prescriptions for a UTI, researchers reported in this month's issue of the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy . “By the time the laboratory delivers the result under current methods, a patient may already have finished their antibiotics, or been given ones that do not work,” said researcher Oliver Hancox , CEO of Astratus Limited, a spin-out company of the University of Reading in the U.K. “Being able to tell a doctor the same day which antibiotic to use means the patient gets the right treatment sooner, reducing the risk of resistance developing and their infection turning into potentially lethal sepsis,” Hancox said in a news release. Current methods require a urine sample to be cultured overnight, so bacteria can grow to identifiable levels. The new test uses a cartridge of fine tubes pre-loaded with different antibiotics. The cartridge is dipped into a urine sample, and optical imaging tracks bacterial growth for six hours. If growth is blocked, the antibiotic works against that person’s infection. If not, it doesn’t. To make sure the new test is accurate, researchers analyzed 352 urine samples from patients with suspected UTIs. Results from the new test agreed with the current method in 97% of cases involving seven first-line antibiotics for treating UTIs. A second study of 90 duplicate samples showed nearly 99% agreement, regardless of whether urine samples had been stored with a preservative. "UTIs are a common reason that patients need antibiotics, and getting the right treatment first time could be a lifesaver,” said Dr. Matthew Inada-Kim , a researcher at the University of Southampton in the U.K., who was not involved in the study. “A test that works on samples we already collect as standard, and gives us answers the same day, is exactly the kind of tool that could change how we manage these infections in practice,” he added in a news release. Atratus Limited was founded in November 2024 by the research team behind the test. The company is working to take the test to market. This new study was funded by the U.K. Sources University of Reading, news release, March 30, 2026

Virothera was invited to present at the prestigious International Society for Vaccines annual congress, held this year in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Over 400 attendees from 50 countries around the world shared the latest developments and research in vaccines and immunotherapeutics for treating infectious disease, autoimmunity and cancer. Virothera’s team gave a poster presentation on our infectious disease applications, including our high efficacy immunotherapeutic for HSV-2. These exciting findings are now leading to preparations for clinical evaluation. In addition, Virothera’s CEO and Founder, Dr Ursula Gompels, was honoured to be invited to give an oral presentation on 30th October 2025, showcasing our excellent early results for our immunotherapeutic as a novel off-the-shelf treatment in a triple negative breast cancer model. Virothera attended BIOEUROPE. This is a major Life Science Partnering event, which was held in November this year in Vienna, Austria. Virothera had a busy schedule of prearranged meetings with a range of potential collaborators and investors. Regulatory advancement. Earlier on in the summer, Virothera made its first US regulatory submission to the The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA. Virothera’s INTERACT filing and the Virothera team were encouraged to progress to a preIND submission. This is an important milestone in the regulatory journey towards clinical evaluation of our novel immunotherapeutic for recurrent HSV-2 disease. Finding an effective treatment for this sexually transmitted infection is a priority for the US NIH/NIAID. Thirteen percent of the world’s population are estimated infected, there is currently no cure and no vaccine. The virus establishes lifelong neuronal latency where it can reactivate to cause neurological disease with links to dementia. It causes painful recurrent ulcers, and HSV-2 co-infection increases HIV transmission by a factor of three. The virus is twice as prevalent in women as in men, and in utero transmission can cause newborn death or lifelong disability (World Health Organisation, WHO). HSV-2 is a serious unmet medical need which urgently requires a cure. New pharmaceutical industry leadership for our Scientific Advisory Board. In the autumn, Virothera was pleased to welcome Professor Jeffrey Almond to our Scientific Advisory Board as Chair. Jeff is the former Global Head of Research at Sanofi Pasteur and currently visiting Professor of Microbiology at the Sir William Dunn School, University of Oxford and at The University of Reading. He has served on numerous national and international committees including being a member of Council of the UK Medical Research Council, MRC, and a member the UK Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee, SEAC. Previously he has held senior officer positions in several learned societies including the International Union of Microbiological Societies and the Academy of Medical Sciences. Professor Almond is currently a member of several boards and scientific advisory boards, mainly concerning infectious disease control, both in the public and private sectors in Europe, the UK, India and the USA. Professor Almond has published widely on virology, vaccination and therapeutics. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the European Academy of Microbiology. Professor Almond says, “I am delighted to join the Virothera SAB and to provide guidance to their exciting and novel programme on therapeutic vaccination to treat persistent herpes virus family infections”. Virothera CEO Dr Gompels says, ‘We are privileged to have such an esteemed new member join our SAB. This adds further critical pharmaceutical development expertise to our world class SAB while preparing to advance our first candidate, for HSV-2, towards the clinic.” NOME and NESTOR mentor programs. This summer, Virothera was honoured to be selected for the prestigious NOME mentor program. This is sponsored by the Novo Nordisk Foundation and provides expert mentorship to advance a community of Scandinavian and other northern European start-ups in life sciences. Virothera was invited to their Investor Day in September and the annual meeting in November. This program was complemented by further selection to participate in the NESTOR mentor program given by the Novo Nordisk company, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Europe. Invited to Women’s Health Innovation Showcase, part of London LifeScience week 2025. in November, the Showcase presented opportunities to address women’s health and was hosted at British Land and Royal London Asset Management's premises at One Triton Square, Regent's Place. Virothera was also invited to attend the Canada-UK collaboration in Women’s Health for Innovation in Femtech in December at the High Commission of Canada in London. Virothera’s platform technologies aim for new therapeutics to meet large unmet medical needs. While our first therapeutics in development are for important indications which affect both men and women, they disproportionately affect women's health. + HSV-2 is twice as prevalent in women as in men, and WHO reports indicate over half a billion affected by the virus. HSV-2 can result in newborn mortality or lifelong disability. Virothera’s novel immunotherapeutic shows great potential to eradicate these conditions. +Triple negative breast cancer has few treatment options and is more common and aggressive in younger women. Virothera’s immunotherapeutic demonstrated excellent results in preclinical models. + In rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune inflammatory diseases up to 4 out of 5 are in women. Virothera’s immunoregulatory technologies could control this dysregulation.

Eating a poor quality diet might lead to brain changes that are associated with depression and anxiety. This is according to a first-of-its-kind study into the brain chemistry and structure, and diet quality of 30 volunteers. Eating a poor quality diet might lead to brain changes that are associated with depression and anxiety. This is according to a first-of-its-kind study into the brain chemistry and structure, and diet quality of 30 volunteers. Brain scans show changes in neurotransmitters and grey matter volume in people who have a poor diet, versus those who adhere to a Mediterranean style diet, which is considered very healthy. The researchers also found that these changes are associated with rumination, a part of the diagnostic criteria for conditions affecting mental health, such as depression and anxiety. This research was carried out by the University of Reading, Roehampton University, FrieslandCampina (Netherlands), and Kings College London, and is published in Nutritional Neuroscience. When someone eats a poor quality diet, there is reduced gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) and elevated glutamate -- both neurotransmitters, along with reduced grey matter volume -- in the frontal area of their brain. This could explain the association between what we eat, and how we feel. Dr Piril Hepsomali, University of Reading, said: "We can eat ourselves well! Ultimately, we see that people who have an unhealthy diet -- high in sugar and saturated fat -- have imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, as well as reduced volume of grey matter in the frontal part of the brain. This part of the brain is involved in mental health issues such as depression and anxiety." The exact reason that diet affects the brain in this way is still under investigation. It's possible that obesity and dietary patterns that are high in saturated fats cause changes in glutamate and GABA metabolism and neurotransmission, as has been shown in animal studies. Distinct alterations of the gut microbiome, due to dietary patterns that are high in saturated fats, is thought to have an impact on cell machinery that drives both GABA and glutamate production. A high saturated fat, high sugar, diet has also been shown to reduce the number of parvalbumin interneurons, which perform the role of delivering GABA to where it is needed. Unhealthy diets also have an impact on glucose, making blood glucose and insulin higher. This increases glutamate in the brain and plasma, thus reducing GABA production and release. Having a diet high in fat and cholesterol can cause changes in cell membranes that alter the release of neurotransmitters, too. These changes in brain chemistry might lead to changes in the brain grey matter volume, as observed in this study. Dr Hepsomali continued: "I would like to note that GABA and glutamate are intimately involved in appetite and food intake, too. Reduced GABA and/or increased glutamate might also be a driving factor in making unhealthy food choices. So, there may be a circular relationship between eating well, having a healthier brain and better mental wellbeing, and making better food choices to eat well."