Student project goes on to treat more than 50 life-threatening allergic reactions
An allergy kit that began as a Loughborough University student project has now been used to treat more than 50 life‑threatening allergic reactions across the UK.
Described as a “defibrillator for allergies”, the Anaphylaxis Kitt provides schools and qualifying businesses with wall‑mounted emergency adrenaline pens, along with staff training and a managed service to ensure the medication is always in date and ready to use.
Since launching in 2023, more than 6,000 Anaphylaxis Kitts have been installed across the UK, and over 125,000 people have been trained to respond to severe allergic reactions.
The idea was conceived by Zak Marks while studying Industrial Design at Loughborough University. For his final‑year project, students were asked to solve a real‑world problem, and Zak turned to one he knew intimately: living with severe allergies.
“I’ve lived with severe food allergies since I was a child, so I know what it’s like to have to carry adrenaline pens everywhere you go,” he said. “But the pens are bulky, easy to forget and can expire, so even people who know they have a severe allergy may not have one with them when they need it.”
Zak initially explored redesigning the adrenaline pen before shifting focus to making existing medication more visible, accessible and reliable, supported by training. After graduating in 2020, he continued developing the idea with friend and now co‑founder James Cohen. The pair raised funding, piloted the concept with schools and officially launched Kitt Medical in 2023.
They later appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, securing £75,000 from Deborah Meaden and Steven Bartlett. Kitt Medical has since grown to a team of 10, with the Anaphylaxis Kitt now used by organisations including Centre Parcs, Haven and DHL, as well as schools and businesses nationwide.
Watch: https://youtu.be/QUzlI2BoztE?si=yqX2JKulrzbWyhIr
The emergency kits have been used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions in both adults and children. One of the people it has helped is teacher and allergy sufferer Billie-Jo Button, who suffered a severe allergic reaction while at work.
Billie-Jo began feeling lightheaded and unwell shortly after arriving at school following exposure to an unknown substance. Her symptoms rapidly worsened and she struggled to focus and breathe while her ears and nose began to swell.
Billie-Jo administered her own adrenaline pen while the school nurse called an ambulance, but her condition failed to improve. With paramedics still around 20 minutes away, the nurse turned to the school’s Anaphylaxis Kitt for further adrenaline.
Despite a second dose, Billie-Jo’s condition continued to deteriorate and she lost consciousness. A passing GP administered a third dose of adrenaline from the Kitt and performed CPR, while school staff used a defibrillator.
Billie-Jo believes it was having access to that additional dose of adrenaline from the Anaphylaxis Kitt that ultimately saved her life.
“Having the Anaphylaxis Kitt at the school was a daily reminder that I was being kept safe and thought about, but on that day when I needed it most, it was the thing that saved my life”, said Billie-Jo.
“It was the difference between me being able to see my children, and my husband planning my funeral. I’m incredibly grateful.”
Zak says he is often in tears when he hears how Anaphylaxis Kitts have been used in real emergencies.
“Hearing that the thing you created actually did the job it was made for is just incredible”, he said.
The Anaphylaxis Kitt.
Kitt Medical has been busier than ever following the recent passing of Benedict’s Law, which requires all schools in England to stock spare adrenaline pens for emergencies, alongside having allergy policies and staff training in place.
The team have been working with schools across the country to install Anaphylaxis Kitts and train staff in how to respond to a severe allergic reaction.
Zak’s ultimate aim is to make the Anaphylaxis Kitt as commonplace as other emergency equipment.
“Our goal is to genuinely create a new standard for allergy care”, said Zak, “We want the baseline to be that every defibrillator has an Anaphylaxis Kitt as its next-door neighbour.”
Zak recently returned to Loughborough University, where it all started, to share his journey from student project to growing business with current students.
His takeaway message?
“I fundamentally believe that you should leave this place better than how you found it and everything you do should try and drive towards a positive impact.”
Professor Rebecca Cain, Dean of the School of Design and Creative Arts, said Zak’s story is “a wonderful example of the impact that can begin with a student project”.
“Our students become experts in using design to respond to real-world challenges, and it is fantastic to see an idea that began here at Loughborough develop into something that is now making such a tangible difference to people’s lives”, she said.
“I know that Zak’s journey and entrepreneurial mindset will inspire our current students to believe in their ideas and to turn them into reality.”
Article provided by Loughborough University.
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