Birmingham spin-out Linear Diagnostics has secured £1m funding to advance a rapid test for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), working in partnership with the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre (HRC) in Diagnostic and Technology Evaluation and the North East Innovation Lab, part of Newcastle Hospitals.
The funding, from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Invention for Innovation programme, will support a three-year project leading to clinical sample testing and readiness for clinical trials.
Linear’s Exponential Amplification technology, developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, detects bacterial DNA using a fast signal amplification method. The company has demonstrated detection of bacterial STIs, urinary tract infections, and viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, in as little as five minutes.
With STIs such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis posing increasing challenges due to antibiotic resistance, rapid testing is vital to prevent transmission. Existing tests often require longer processing times, limiting same-day diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Jean-Louis Duprey, Head of Research and Development at Linear Diagnostics, said: “The most difficult criteria to achieve in diagnostic testing is combining rapidity with accuracy.”
The HRC, hosted by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Newcastle University, will help evaluate the technology.
Dr Jana Suklan, Senior Methodologist at the HRC, said: “Through reviewing clinical guidelines and speaking with healthcare professionals as well as patients and the public we will pinpoint how the platform can be developed and used so it can improve patient care.”
John Tyson, Head of the North East Innovation Lab, part of Newcastle Hospitals, said: “We’re delighted to have the opportunity to continue our collaborative work with our partner innovators to support the development and evaluation of this new exciting diagnostic test.”
