CATCH ME · Project

Better Tools to Classify and Treat the Most Common Heart Rhythm Disorder

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Atrial fibrillation is when your heart beats irregularly — and it affects up to 2% of Europeans, making it the most common heart rhythm problem. Right now, doctors mostly treat everyone the same way, even though the underlying causes vary wildly from patient to patient. The CATCH ME team dug into blood samples, heart tissue, and ECG data from large patient groups to figure out what actually drives the condition in each person. They built new blood- and ECG-based markers, a clinical classification system, and even a smartphone app to help patients understand their specific type of AF.

By the numbers

1.5-2%

Prevalence of atrial fibrillation in European populations

EUR 4,944,773

EU contribution to the project

Consortium partners across Europe

Countries represented in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Atrial fibrillation affects 1.5-2% of Europeans and is a major cause of stroke, dementia, and heart failure — yet current treatments are essentially one-size-fits-all because doctors lack tools to distinguish the different underlying causes in each patient. This means therapies often fail to improve outcomes, costing healthcare systems and medtech companies billions in ineffective treatments and missed diagnostic opportunities.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered validated ECG- and blood-based biomarkers for AF subtypes, a new clinical classification of AF tested in two large patient cohorts, a smartphone/tablet patient education app to improve treatment adherence, and a training programme for clinical professionals.

Audience

Who needs this

Cardiac monitoring device manufacturers (ECG wearables, Holter monitors)Pharmaceutical companies developing AF drugs or running AF clinical trialsDigital health companies building chronic disease management appsClinical diagnostics companies developing blood-based biomarker assaysHealth insurers seeking better risk stratification for cardiac patients

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Digital Health / MedTech

SME

Target: Companies developing cardiac monitoring devices or ECG analytics platforms

If you are a cardiac monitoring company dealing with the challenge of turning raw ECG data into actionable clinical insights — this project developed validated ECG-based markers for atrial fibrillation subtypes that can stratify patients by underlying cause. With AF affecting 1.5-2% of the European population, integrating these markers into your device software could differentiate your product in a crowded wearable and remote monitoring market.

Pharmaceutical / Diagnostics

enterprise

Target: Pharma companies developing AF therapies or companion diagnostics

If you are a pharmaceutical company struggling with one-size-fits-all AF treatment that fails to improve patient outcomes — this project identified blood-based biomarkers and molecular drivers validated across large European patient cohorts. These biomarkers could serve as companion diagnostics to stratify patients for clinical trials or guide therapy selection, potentially reducing trial failure rates for AF drugs.

Patient Engagement / Health Apps

SME

Target: Digital health companies building chronic disease management platforms

If you are a health app company looking to expand into cardiac care — this project built and tested a smartphone and tablet application that educates AF patients about their disease category and aims to increase treatment adherence. With a 10-partner consortium across 5 countries having validated the approach, this could be licensed or adapted for integration into broader chronic disease management platforms.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these tools?

The project was funded with EUR 4,944,773 in EU contribution under a Research and Innovation Action. Licensing terms for the biomarkers, classification system, or app would need to be negotiated with the University of Birmingham as coordinator. Costs are not publicly disclosed.

Can these biomarkers work at industrial scale for diagnostics?

The biomarkers and ECG markers were validated in large, well-characterized patient cohorts across multiple European sites. However, as a research project (not a commercial product), scaling to routine clinical diagnostics would require regulatory approval and standardization of assays. The multi-site validation across 5 countries is a positive signal for reproducibility.

What is the IP situation — can we license these results?

The project was coordinated by the University of Birmingham under Horizon 2020 rules, meaning IP generally stays with the generating partner. The consortium included 1 industry partner alongside 5 universities and 2 research organizations. Specific licensing arrangements should be discussed with the coordinator.

Is the patient app ready for commercial deployment?

The project delivered a smartphone/tablet application designed to educate patients on their AF category and increase treatment adherence. Based on available project data, this was developed and launched as part of the project but would likely need further development and regulatory clearance (e.g., CE marking as a medical device) before commercial rollout.

How does this fit with current AF treatment guidelines?

The project explicitly aimed to bridge the gap between molecular understanding of AF and clinical practice. It developed a new clinical classification of AF validated against treatment response and complications in two large patient cohorts. This positions the outputs as potentially complementary to existing European Society of Cardiology guidelines.

What is the timeline from research to usable product?

The project ran from 2015 to 2019 and is now closed. The core research outputs (biomarkers, classification, app) are complete but would need further development for commercialization. Based on available project data, a realistic timeline to market-ready diagnostic or clinical tool would depend on regulatory pathway and commercial partnership.

Consortium

Who built it

The CATCH ME consortium brings together 10 partners from 5 countries (Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands, UK), led by the University of Birmingham. The partnership is heavily research-oriented, with 5 universities and 2 research organizations forming the scientific backbone. There is 1 industry partner (10% industry ratio) and zero SMEs, which signals strong scientific depth but limited commercial pull. For a business looking to adopt these results, the low industry participation means commercialization pathways may not be fully mapped — but the multi-country clinical validation across large patient cohorts adds credibility to the scientific outputs.

THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAMCoordinator · UK
LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
SOCIETE EUROPEENNE DE CARDIOLOGIEparticipant · FR
UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHTparticipant · NL
FUNDACIO DE RECERCA CLINIC BARCELONA-INSTITUT D INVESTIGACIONS BIOMEDIQUES AUGUST PI I SUNYERparticipant · ES
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
KOMPETENZNETZ VORHOFFLIMMERN E.V.participant · DE
SORBONNE UNIVERSITEparticipant · FR
HOSPITAL CLINIC DE BARCELONAthirdparty · ES

How to reach the team

The University of Birmingham (UK) coordinated the project. Contact their research commercialization or technology transfer office for licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want a personalized briefing on how CATCH ME's AF biomarkers or patient app could fit your product roadmap? SciTransfer connects businesses with the right research teams — contact us for a matchmaking introduction.

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