Dxcover Brings Early Cancer Detection Efforts to the U.S.

Dxcover Limited, a Glasgow-based clinical-stage diagnostics firm, has entered the U.S. market officially with the opening of its first North American headquarters. The entry represents a strategic step for the company as it looks to bring to market a blood-based cancer screening device that can identify several forms of cancer in their earliest stages.

Developed by Matthew J. Baker and a group of spectroscopy and diagnostic scientists at the University of Strathclyde, Dxcover has been perfecting its patented method of cancer detection for almost a decade. Its method pairs infrared spectroscopy with machine learning to analyze blood samples for cancer indications, producing results in under 24 hours.

The firm’s U.S. headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville, provides it with a presence in one of the nation's busiest healthcare corridors. It also puts Dxcover in closer proximity to hospital systems, research collaborators and an expanding list of biotech ventures seeking early cancer detection technologies.

A Simple Premise with Large Implications

Different from older diagnostics that look for individual genetic mutations or individual biomarkers, Dxcover's approach analyzes the complete biochemical signal of a blood sample. The firm employs a method called multiomic spectroscopy that picks up a broad range of molecular information. This encompasses proteins, lipids and other alterations that can be signs of initial tumor formation, even before symptoms arise.

The firm's machine does not pull DNA out of cells or sequence genomes. It looks at patterns. Those patterns, subtle, non-specific and easily overlooked by traditional means, are then examined by a software program trained to look for evidence of the existence and type of cancer.

“This isn't sequencing a gene,” Matthew said. “It's about understanding the biological fingerprint of disease.”

What that looks like in reality is a quick, low-invasive test that can be applied in primary care environments to direct further investigation. In the longer term, Dxcover envisions its test being incorporated into regular cancer risk screening across several types of tumor.

From University Spinout to Global Push

Dxcover started off as a research project within the University of Strathclyde before it was officially incorporated as ClinSpec Diagnostics in 2019. It was then rebranded as Dxcover Limited in 2021. While the company has its roots in academic research, its intentions have always been clinical.

The breakthrough came when the team started applying their method to brain tumors, one of the hardest cancers to diagnose early. Conventional imaging too often arrives too late, after symptoms such as headache or seizures have progressed. Dxcover's initial trials indicated promising results in detecting cancer indicators from blood samples, weeks before a patient would otherwise have been scanned.

Matthew, who now serves as president and chief executive officer, has guided the company’s transition from laboratory science to clinical product development. He brings a background in analytical chemistry and a strong focus on translational science—getting discoveries out of the lab and into the hands of healthcare providers.

“We’ve worked carefully, step by step, to generate evidence, protect our IP and validate what we’re building,” he said.

A New Tennessee Base

The American expansion is not just symbolic. Dxcover will utilize its Franklin facility as a hub for clinical collaborations, production, and future commercial launches. It chose the Nashville area for its proximity to large health systems, clinical research facilities, and an expanding biotech talent pool.

The firm is already in talks with research hospitals, hospital groups, and diagnostic laboratories to further its testing pipeline. In the near term, Dxcover is looking at brain and GI cancers, with more trials ongoing for lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers.

Having a U.S. office also allows Dxcover to interface more easily with the Food and Drug Administration as it works toward regulatory submissions. Unlike many diagnostics firms that chase approvals before building infrastructure, Dxcover is prioritizing technical readiness first.

“We’re not moving fast just to say we’re first,” Matthew said. “We’re moving deliberately, because getting this wrong helps no one.”

Clinical Work and Real-World Trials

Dxcover's flagship clinical program is the EMBRACE trial, an ongoing investigation assessing its test for the early detection of brain tumors in patients with neurological symptoms. The trial, carried out at seven European centers, is one of the largest of its type and involves over 2,000 patients. Early results have reported high sensitivity and specificity, indicating that the test may save time in diagnosis.

The firm has also published real-world data demonstrating that even small delays in the detection of brain tumors have a major impact on increasing mortality and prolonging hospital stays. Its research was presented at this year's American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting and supported the premise that detecting cancer earlier, even by weeks, can change outcomes.

Aside from brain cancer, Dxcover's test has been demonstrating early promise in finding cancers of the pancreas and colon, both frequently diagnosed too late for successful treatment. The test is not meant to supplant imaging or biopsy but to inform those decisions sooner.

Easier Workflow, Wider Reach

Dxcover's test is not refrigeration-dependent, does not use specialized lab equipment or complex processing. Only a few drops of blood are placed on a slide, dried, and scanned with infrared light. The process can be done in less than a day and needs minimal lab setup.

This is by design. The company holds that the future of cancer screening hinges on accessibility. Its technology can be deployed in a general practitioner's office, a rural clinic or a small hospital—settings that typically have limited diagnostic resources.

Matthew indicated that practical utility has always been the aim. "There is no dearth of clever tech in this field," he said. "What's lacking is something scalable."

Funding and Team Growth

Dxcover has so far raised more than £10 million, with backing including Eos Advisory, Macmillan Cancer Support and Maven Capital Partners. The capital has driven expansion into new territories and continued research across several cancers.

The firm is now actively recruiting both technical, regulatory and commercial positions in the U.K. and U.S. Its U.S. operation will comprise clinical liaisons, quality assurance personnel and local leadership representation dedicated to partnerships and operational growth.

Dxcover also stays closely connected to its research origins, with much of its personnel still publishing peer-reviewed research and attending academic conferences.

A Humble but Pressing Mission

Cancer is still the second leading global cause of death, and most cancers are only detected when the symptoms have started to show. By that point, there aren't many choices. Dxcover's ultimate goal is to detect cancer when it can still be treated.

The company does not frame its work in sweeping terms. It avoids promises of disruption or transformation. Instead, it emphasizes what it can measure and what it can deliver—a fast, accurate tool that fits inside the way healthcare already works.

“There’s nothing radical about what we’re doing,” Matthew said. “We’re trying to build something that helps people get care sooner. That’s it.”

The path forward is filled with regulatory submissions, scale-up and the challenge of competing in a competitive diagnostics marketplace. But Dxcover’s strategy, tempered, evidence-based and low-key ambitious, is something unique in biotech: a product that was designed for the clinic, not merely the pitch deck.

Matthew J. Baker, Co-Founder, President, & CEO, Dxcover Limited

Our goal is to make early detection reliable, accessible and part of routine care.

There’s nothing radical about what we’re doing. We’re trying to build something that helps people get care sooner. That’s it.