NEW YORK (360Dx) – Hemex Health said today that it has selected Bangalore, India-based Tata Elxsi as the design and engineering partner for its POC lab-in-a-box diagnostic device, which integrates malaria and sickle cell diagnostics within a single unit and provides results within minutes.
Hemex Health CEO Patti White said in a statement that access to quality and affordable healthcare is still a challenge across the world today, especially in rural settings.
"Lack of facilities and suitable clinical tools for the rural and economically challenged areas of the world means that diseases such as malaria and sickle cell often go undiagnosed with devastating impact on families and communities," White said. "In our strategic mission to develop and launch this Lab-in-a-Box product, we have been actively looking for a partner that understands the challenges of these markets and possesses comprehensive capabilities from concept development to engineering and launch of medical products that meet regulatory standards."
Citing World Health Organization estimates, Hemex Health said that up to 3.4 billion people are at risk for malaria, especially in developing countries. Sickle cell disease is genetic and causes recurring long-term health issues such as anemia, bacterial infections, and stroke.
In April, the National Institutes of Health awarded Hemex Health a $1.5 million Small Business Innovation Research grant to support commercializing its technology for malaria diagnostics.
Hemex Health has licensed magneto-optical detection technology for malaria detection from Case Western Reserve University. The company said it plans to make its product available at about $1 per test, including the amortized cost of a portable reader.