NEW YORK (360Dx) – Contract lateral flow assay developer DCN Dx has partnered with E25Bio, an MIT spinout, to design and manufacture an infectious disease testing system for detecting dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika viruses in a single device.
The E25Bio technology — described as a rapid, low-cost, highly-specific and sensitive fingerstick blood test for onsite detection and global epidemiological analysis — was spun out from work done in the RNA virus lab of Lee Gehrke at MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science. DCN will now help to develop the technology into a lateral flow diagnostic product.
"Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika illnesses have rapidly expanded across the globe in recent years, causing large-scale outbreaks worldwide," said E25Bio CEO and Founder Irene Bosch. There are 3.8 billion people in endemic areas, and 128 countries affected by mosquito-borne viruses, she said, so rapid diagnostics are "crucial for patient treatment and the management of epidemics."
The low cost of Cambridge, Massachusetts-based E25Bio's technology will make the point-of-care test more accessible to communities worldwide, Bosch added.
"We're pleased to partner with E25Bio to leverage DCN's expertise and talent to develop this groundbreaking, life-saving product for worldwide use," said DCN Dx President Brendan O'Farrell. The company is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.