POC Assay Could Diagnose Acute Coronary Syndrome in 3-5 Minutes

32% of all global deaths are due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), with 85% of the deaths attributed to heart attack or stroke. This disease state may go undiagnosed due to confusion of symptoms with other medical issues or lack of proper medical attention. Even when discovered, a CVD incident can be too far gone before a heart attack or stroke occurs. There is a need for a preliminary medical test that can be easily taken in any environment that can alert a patient and their medical team to the potential of a cardiac event. Now, a cardiac-specific quantitative test using a finger-prick sample could offer results in 3-5 minutes at the point of care and help in identifying cardiovascular problems anywhere.

Neuome Peptides (Singapore) is in the advanced stages of developing TruHeart, a point of care biomarker assay to diagnose Acute Coronary Syndrome that can give quantifiable results within 3-5 minutes, using a finger-prick sample to test for the crucial biomarkers, Troponins I and T, and Myoglobin (eventually expanding to D-Dimer and Brain Natriuretic Peptide). It is in the advanced stages of R&D and progressing to global clinical trials. It will be submitted for FDA approval and then introduced to the market upon approval. The company’s technology for detecting these biomarkers uses a unique ability to bind at more than one binding site when conjugated with gold nanoparticles.

Image: TruHeart technology aims to prevent heart disease mortality by early point-of-care diagnosis (Photo courtesy of Neuome Peptides)

Such highly sensitive assay platforms can enable early detection of biomarkers even at very low concentration, without needing a laboratory. The test can be used at home, in ambulances, or in emergency rooms, where the results can be acted upon immediately. The product could be a game-changer, allowing patients to affordably screen for this potentially deadly condition conveniently early, in their own home, achieving quantifiable results without needing a laboratory. In comparison to industry standards, it will be uniquely affordable; its peptide-coated cartridges will cost only ~USD 2, while the quantitative electronic reader will cost ~USD 80. This is in contrast to existing point-of-care devices also giving quantitative results for cardiac biomarkers, but at device costs of up to USD 4,500, with cartridges ranging from USD 18-37.

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