DOD-Backed MeMed Feels the Need for Speed

An Israeli startup that has developed a platform to differentiate between viral and bacterial infections in 15 minutes just got a big boost toward bringing the product to market. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has given Haifa-based MeMed a $4 million grant to fund its manufacturing efforts. MeMed’s technology measures three blood-borne immune markers to detect whether a patient has a bacterial or viral infection. Its first generation product, ImmunoXpert, has been cleared for use in laboratories in the EU, Switzerland, and Israel. The platform under development, ImmunoPoC, is designed for point-of-care use to help clinicians decide whether or not to treat an infection with antibiotics. It does not have FDA approval. Antibiotic overuse has driven the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria with significant health and economic consequences. Approximately 2 million infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria occur in the United States each year, resulting in 23,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Medication-resistant infections can also lead to more serious illness, longer recovery, more frequent or longer hospitalization and more expensive treatments. Researchers around the world have been working on faster, more accurate tests to help clinicians decide whether to prescribe or avoid antibiotics. MeMed’s technology has been tested on thousands of patients, including the double-blind  PATHFINDER study of 361 children published in September 20...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: IVD Source Type: news