Oxford University & Prenetics to collaborate on global rapid testing tech
pharmafile | April 20, 2021 | News story | Manufacturing and Production |
The University of Oxford, Prenetics Limited and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have signed collaboration agreements to further develop the OxLAMPTM technology, a rapid molecular testing technology for infectious diseases.
The multi-million-pound collaboration will be a three-year joint effort by involved parties, and a new technology centre has been established in China for advanced molecular diagnostics.
Professor Zhanfeng Cui, Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering at Oxford University and Founding Director at OSCAR, said: “The initial collaboration with Prenetics has exceeded all expectations and their team, led by Danny Yeung, has been highly involved on a daily basis with our scientific developments.
“When we think about the future, especially with the pandemic, it’s very apparent that testing is here to stay with us for years to come. With this in mind, we are excited about the future roadmap in which we develop novel scientific discoveries to aid the world with fast and accurate molecular testing globally.
“Our goal is to decentralise laboratory testing with rapid, highly accurate, molecular testing, not just for COVID-19 but for all infectious diseases. I’m confident we can succeed in our mission with Prenetics.”
The first OxLAMPTM RaViD Direct SARS-CoV-2 product was developed to help the rapid detection of COVID-19, and has the capacity to identify the presence of the virus in 20 minutes, without the use of traditional laboratories. The test has already received CE-IVD, MHRA approval and efforts are underway for a submission to FDA under EUA protocols.
A new Prenetics Innovation Technology Centre (ITC) for advanced molecular diagnostics has been established, which will be based in OSCAR, located in China’s Jiangsu Province. The Centre will work in bio-sensing, clinical virology, microbiology, and with medical devices in efforts to forward technology development for molecular diagnostics.
Danny Yeung, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Prenetics, said: “Our new collaboration with Oxford University and OSCAR is our commitment to continually invest in R&D and by establishing our own Innovation Technology Centre, we believe it will have profound breakthroughs in molecular diagnostics.
“We also expect more top researchers to be based in Suzhou and in Oxford over the next three years into our technology centre. The Oxford team of professors have been amazing and I’m truly excited with our molecular diagnostic pipeline and the opportunity to decentralise laboratory testing globally.”
Kat Jenkins
