Funds awarded to Linear Diagnostics for rapid point-of-care test for gonorrhoea and Chlamydia in men who have sex with men, and women who have sex with women.
This week the UK Health Security Agency warned of a surge in gonorrhoea, with latest figures showing a 50% increase in cases between 2021 and 2022. The rise is highest among young people.
The funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will cover essential work to optimise and validate Linear’s platform technology (LDx-CTNG), so it can diagnose infection from rectal and pharyngeal (throat) swabs.
Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia are both major public health concerns. While Chlamydia remains the most commonly detected sexually transmitted infection, the UK Health Security Agency recently warned of a surge in gonorrhoea cases. The latest figures show the number of cases increase of 50% from 2021 to 2022, and while gonorrhoea is increasing in people of all ages, the rise is highest among young people aged 15 to 24 years.
In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) has noted the rapid increase in multi-drug resistant gonorrhoea, with all confirmed treatment failures except one being pharyngeal infections affecting the throat.
The most commonly used tests identify DNA from swabs or urine samples, and require laboratory processing, meaning it can be days or even weeks between testing and result. However extracting DNA from rectal or pharyngeal swabs is more challenging.
Linear Diagnostics will now work with product development consultancy Kinneir Dufort, which has extensive experience in medical diagnostics, to address these technical difficulties.
For STIs, the rapidity of the testing procedure is key, as patients prefer to get test results quickly and start treatment immediately. We are aiming to produce a testing platform that will meet the WHO stipulations of being easy to use with minimal training, so people can present for testing and collect their treatment in a single visit.
Linear Diagnostics is a platform technology that was invented by Professor Tim Dafforn from the University’s School of Biosciences and uses linear dichroism, where a beam of polarised light detects multiple targets from a single sample. A proof of concept study has already shown this technology can provide a fast, accurate diagnostic test. Further proprietary technologies include a new DNA amplification technique. The company is now seeking development partners.
David Coleman, CEO of University of Birmingham Enterprise, said: “Linear Diagnostics is tackling an important application. STIs have a direct impact on sexual and reproductive health, and although chlamydia and gonorrhoea are curable, they have to be diagnosed first. Even in countries where testing is available, these are expensive lab-based tests which take a number of days to report on. A rapid and easy to use diagnostic test could play a significant part in reducing the knock-on consequences of these STIs globally.”
For media information contact: Ruth Ashton, email: r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk
For commercial partnerships email: info@lineardiagnostics.com
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About Linear Diagnostics
Linear Diagnostics exploits a novel platform technology that can be used for assays in a wide range of sectors including food, agriculture, defence and security, veterinary, and medicine. The technology uses linear dichroism, which enables rapid detection of multiple targets using a disposable cartridge run on a small low-cost instrument that has the potential to deliver rapid, accurate and cost-effective diagnostic testing without the need for laboratory facilities.
The company is now developing a portable, low-cost, diagnostic that can identify Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea from a single sample, within a 20-minute timescale, making it faster than any current alternative.
About Kinneir Dufort
Bristol-based Kinneir Dufort (KD) is a world-leading user centred design and product development consultancy, focusing on designing a better world, and creating value through tomorrow’s products and experiences. Kinneir Dufort have extensive experience within the development of medical diagnostic products and point-of-care devices in particular.
About the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
Professor of Biotechnology
Professor Tim Dafforn has established himself as an expert in biophysical spectroscopy with a keen interest in synthetic biology.
