Test will detect infection of chlamydia and gonorrhoea and determine antimicrobial susceptibility to easy-to-access antibiotics within 60 minutes
SpeeDx Pty. Ltd., a developer of innovative molecular diagnostic solutions, announced it has been awarded up to US $1.8 million from CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. SpeeDx represents the first Australian-based diagnostics company to receive CARB-X funding and a further $1.9 million will be available once the project reaches defined milestones. Funds will be used to develop a rapid test for the combined detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, while identifying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of gonorrhea infections towards common antibiotic treatments. Chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (NG) are globally significant sexually transmitted infections with serious health complications if left untreated, and AMR NG is an urgent public health threat.
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Current antibiotic susceptibility testing methods fail to offer timely and comprehensive susceptibility/resistance information, especially in resource-limited settings. SpeeDx aims to develop an affordable, fast (<60 mins), point-of-care test for the detection of bacteria that cause CT and NG, in addition to determining the susceptibility of NG to three cheap, orally administered, and accessible antibiotics: cefixime, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. SpeeDx will utilize their newly patented InSignia technology to both assess the presence of active bacterial infection and AMR status. SpeeDx is collaborating with QuantuMDx to port the test onto their Q-POC sample to answer qPCR & integrated microarray system – a small battery-powered, simple-to-use device suitable for remote settings.
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“We are working closely with QuantuMDx to supply affordable and innovative diagnostics with the goal of significantly improving the standard of care and antibiotic stewardship in STI management,” said Colin Denver, SpeeDx CEO. “This project is an excellent application of our recently developed InSignia technology and the support from CARB-X for this venture will help accelerate this development and extend access in critical need areas.”
Jonathan O’Halloran, Chief Executive, QuantuMDx added: “Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat and requires a global response. With rapidly rising rates of AMR, it is no longer good enough to simply provide a pathogen ID, we must also determine what therapeutics the infection is resistant to and which ones the infection are sensitive to. Performing this all within a single assay, as the patient waits, will be transformational. We launch Q-POC – our rapid PCR diagnostic system – later this year and we’re looking forward to this, our first commercial collaboration, with SpeeDx.”
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