Q Chip

Q Chip Limited was a life science company that developed and commercialized bio-encapsulation products for the pharmaceutical and medical device markets. A spin-out from Cardiff University in Wales, the company specialized in sustained-release drug formulations for injectable therapeutics. Its core technology, Q-Sphera™, is a bio-encapsulation production system that packages and stabilizes biological materials in precisely engineered polymer microspheres. This platform enables the controlled, sustained release of biopharmaceuticals, such as peptides and proteins, over extended periods.

The company's focus was on improving the delivery of therapies for cancer and ophthalmology. In December 2014, Q Chip was acquired by Midatech Pharma PLC, a nanomedicine company, for approximately £14.4 million in stock. The acquisition was strategic for Midatech, providing a complementary technology to its gold nanoparticle (GNP) platform and adding sustained-release programs to its portfolio. Following the acquisition, Q Chip's chairman, Dr. Simon Turton, joined Midatech's board, and its CEO, Dr. Tim Sparey, became Midatech's chief business officer. Q Chip's technology, now part of Biodexa Pharmaceuticals (formerly Midatech), continues to be developed for formulating delicate, high-molecular-weight proteins like monoclonal antibodies into long-acting injectables.

Keywords: bio-encapsulation, sustained-release, drug delivery, injectable therapeutics, polymer microspheres, Q-Sphera, pharmaceutical formulation, nanomedicine, biologics delivery, controlled release, long-acting injectables, peptide delivery, protein stabilization, therapeutic peptides, drug encapsulation, micro-technology, biopharmaceuticals, life sciences, Cardiff University spin-out, Midatech Pharma acquisition