NEW YORK – British in vitro diagnostics firm ProtonDx said Monday that it formed a strategic partnership with point-of-care technology testing provider Katalyst Laboratories to distribute the ProtonDx Dragonfly rapid IVD system.
The companies did not specify the geographic extent of the distribution deal, but London-based Katalyst Laboratories — a provider of molecular diagnostic testing services to travel hubs and field settings including the Olympic Winter Games and film and TV production sites — last year formed a new division, Katalyst Diagnostics, to distribute artificial intelligence-based technologies and products across the UK and Ireland.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ProtonDx, a 2020 spinout from Imperial College London, received a CE-IVD mark for its Dragonfly IVD system last year.
The portable Dragonfly platform supports diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus, and human rhinovirus in a single test. It relies on rapid nucleic acid extraction and isothermal colorimetric detection, and is as sensitive and specific as PCR technology, the firm said, adding that the technology has a turnaround time of less than 30 minutes.
"By facilitating robust, accurate and reliable point-of-need testing, Dragonfly complements our comprehensive range of testing solutions," Katalyst Cofounder and CEO Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. "Dragonfly offers the diagnostics community a unique and cost-effective testing solution that can be readily adapted to support the rapidly evolving need for accurate pathogen detection, something that I believe can add value not only within the film and TV market, but across all point-of-care channels."