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Newcastle biotech firm reveal prototype of revolutionary malaria diagnosis lab

Central Newcastle-based biotech outfit QuantuMDx have revealed the prototype of their pioneering disposable handheld lab for 15-minute malaria diagnosis and drug resistance testing.

The firm has successfully crowdfunded over $18k to be used in the development and production of the unit.

A prototype has been revealed to coincide with World Malaria Day (April 25) and brings QuantuMDx closer to clinical trials, expected later this year in Gabon.

A European Union FP7 funded NanoMal consortium led by St George’s, University of London, and including Universitat Tubingen and Karolinska Institutet will help to drive the technology forward.

The test costs just a few dollars and will enable frontline healthworkers to prescribe the right drug for patients, first time. The firm estimates it will provide affordable and accurate testing for the estimated 200 million people who contract malaria each year.

Jonathan O’Halloran, co-founder and CSO said: “After six years of development, it is rewarding to finally hold in my hand a prototype of our disposable test cartridge.

“This device represents a significant piece in the puzzle for my vision of a global network- an infectious disease monitoring system, wherein GPS data and real-time DNA sequence data are immediately analysed and used to track emerging new infectious disease threats and drug resistance.

“Starting with malaria, this system will benefit not just the patient but also epidemiologists and public health officials, as real-time identification of novel pathogens and drug resistance mutations will allow for the mobilization of resources including the correct anti-infective to the exact site that these diseases originate. This will be significantly faster than relying on traditional methods of identifying & monitoring these diseases.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .