Healthtech firm Emblation on front foot with treatment milestone

An Alloa-based health tech firm is hailing the milestone of completing 100,000 treatments in the UK and Ireland with its “innovative” microwave device for treating skin conditions, as it looks to progress overseas expansion plans.

Emblation said the total achieved by its Swift device for treating warts and verrucae has helped clinics across the country bring in more than £11 million in income. The technology is now being used in more than 400 clinics across Britain and Northern Ireland with 1,000 practitioners trained in its use.

The firm flagged the popularity of the device – proprietary technology offering a simple microwave treatment – among clinicians, saying they often previously found themselves unable to offer effective treatments to patients suffering from persistent verrucae.

It added that within a month of launching the Swift device, it had been rolled out to 60 podiatry clinics across the UK. Eleven of those have now completed more than 1,000 treatments, while six have invested in additional Swift machines. The device has since been launched in the US, Canada and Australia, and Emblation is currently focusing on launching into Europe.

The healthtech business added that its performance helped it recently secure an eight-figure investment from London-based specialist healthcare investor Apposite Capital to support ambitious growth across Europe and to fund research for further clinical treatments.

Emblation chief executive Gary Beale said: “When we launched our Swift device into UK clinics from September 2016, we promised to bring benefits to the entire podiatry community where there had been little investment or innovation. We believe we have delivered on that promise.

“The UK has been the pioneer for this treatment, with clinicians grabbing the chance to be the first in the world to use the Swift device. Many clinics which have installed a Swift device had never treated verrucae previously as they felt there were no suitable methods. Now they have a thriving verrucae-treatment business thanks to Swift.”

Podiatrist Matthew Butters purchased a Swift system in April 2019 and his clinic has now conducted 1,400 treatments. Picture: Liz Baker.

Growth

Matthew Butters, of Colne Valley Podiatry in Yorkshire, bought a Swift system in April 2019 and his clinic has now conducted 1,400 treatments. He said: “When I first came across Swift, I didn’t think anyone would want to pay the amount that I would have to charge to get my money back per treatment. Looking back, I wish that I had purchased the device when I was first told about it.”

The business pointed out that it is also growing its research and development capability to treat other skin conditions, including pre-cancerous skin lesions. Other areas of focus include HPV infections and cardiology.

Emblation was founded by Gary Beale and Eamon McErlean, who met during post-graduate studies at the University in Edinburgh. The pair went on to develop and launch Swift as a “radical” new treatment in the podiatry sector as well as developing their microwave-based cancer technology in partnership with global healthcare corporations.

The business also has plans for an imminent move into purpose-built, 20,000-square-foot headquarters at Castle Business Park in Stirling as a result of its continued expansion.