Most research has little, if any, commercial value but sometimes researchers do uncover something that has potential.  In healthcare the costs of developing new drugs and devices are very high: around £800M for a new drug and even a new medical device can have development costs of several million pounds.  Typical development times are 10-15 years for drugs and it can easily be several years for simple medical devices to be available to the public.  Laboratory tests and clinical trials have to be carried out under controlled conditions followed by product registration with the licensing authorities around the world.  

The Ness Foundation is an academic research organisation and a charity but it has to be aware that its research might yield results with commercial potential.  The Ness Foundation has therefore established a wholly owned commercial subsidiary, Pan Diagnostics Ltd, for any commercial exploitation of its research.

So far there are two potential tests:

-  Niacin skin-test

-  Breath-test

Neither test is yet available for routine use and considerable work remains to be done with both tests in to establish the exact performance in sufferers as well as unaffected persons. The trials required are being conducted under controlled conditions at selected centres in the UK and abroad with volunteers being recruited within these selected centres.