UK Funds Portable Molecular Diagnostics Development

Enigma Diagnostics (Porton Down, UK) a point-of-care molecular diagnostics company was awarded US$3.23 million to lead a program to develop a portable, rapid, automated DNA analysis molecular test system for the diagnosis of infectious disease. The U.K. Government's Technology Strategy Board (Swindon, UK) awarded the grant.

Enigma Diagnostics will lead the development of the system, called PRADA, using its proprietary technology. Scientists at the Center for Healthcare Associated Infections at Nottingham University (Nottingham, UK) and Nottingham Trent University (UK) will develop and validate real-time molecular assays for the platform.

The aim of the program is to develop a system for the diagnosis of infectious diseases in decentralized and point-of-care settings such as general practitioner (GP) surgeries. The focus of the program will be on sexually transmitted diseases including Chlamydia infection, and healthcare-associated infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Chlamydia infection is the most common sexually transmitted in the developed world. Most people with Chlamydia have no symptoms and many are unaware that they have the infection. If left untreated, Chlamydia can lead to long-term health problems, such as infertility and pelvic inflammatory disease. Rapid systems for point-of-care testing will enable healthcare professionals to accurately diagnose Chlamydia and treat it immediately, removing the need to track down patients days or weeks later.

MRSA is a significant public health problem and rapid point-of-care testing is essential for effective patient management. The new PRADA system will allow rapid testing for hospital emergency and out of hour's admissions, allowing doctors to make quick decisions about how their patients are managed while effectively reducing healthcare costs.

John McKinley, chairman of Enigma Diagnostics, said, "We are delighted to have received such substantial funding to support this project and to be working with two leading UK clinical partners. We are committed to delivering rapid, cost-effective diagnostic systems that will substantially improve patient care and help eliminate the spread of infectious diseases.”

Enigma Diagnostics is a private UK-based company specializing in developing the next generation of rapid molecular diagnostic instrument platforms for decentralized and point-of-care settings. Enigma's technology combines the speed and sensitivity of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the simplicity needed for field-based, decentralized, and point-of-care tests and can provide results from a raw sample in less than 45 minutes.

Related Links:
Enigma Diagnostics
U.K. Government's Technology Strategy Board
Nottingham university