Exeter University spin-out out Isca Diagnostics has developed a device that detects a fatal lung disease. Called invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, the disease is a fungus that is fatal if not treated early enough, but has so far also been difficult to diagnose. The disease affects cancer patients, and is a leading cause of death in people suffering from acute leukaemia or having undergone a bone marrow transplant. 200,000 patients are infected each year, with a very high mortality rate of 90%.
The news follows the announcement in October 2013 that the company would be collaborating with Queen’s University Belfast spin-out Fusion Antibodies in order to achieve their goal.
Developed by professor Chris Thornton, the lateral-flow device looks like a pregnancy test but uses a small blood sample. The cost per unit is £10 ($17). The test has been designed to fit into routine hospital practices.
The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, Higher Education Innovation Funding, private investors, and an unnamed global pharmaceuticals company. The device is currently undergoing a trial with leukaemia patients at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
Isca will be outsourcing both the global marketing and distribution of the device to a partner company, OLM Medical.
Chris Thornton said: “Individuals with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis are often suffering from complex medical conditions and the symptoms, which include raised temperature, breathlessness, chest pain and fatigue, could be attributable to a number of other conditions. At present, it can take several days to identify the disease correctly due to the lack of accurate diagnostic tests, and the patient’s health deteriorates significantly in the absence of appropriate treatment. The low cost, speed, ease-of-use and compatibility of the new device with standard hospital procedures means that the disease can be quickly and accurately monitored at the point-of-care using a simple blood test or with fluids collected during lung biopsy.”
