Collaboration to Develop Point-of-Care LFA Tests

A commercial agreement to address limitations in development of complex, multiplex point-of-care (POC) lateral flow assay (LFA) diagnostic tests has been announced by Expedeon AG and Canadian company Sona Nanotech Inc.

Under the terms of the agreement, Expedeon will provide gold nanoparticle, bioconjugation technologies and expertise and Sona will offer its lateral flow assay development services. The collaboration will enable the rapid development of more complex / multiplex immunoassays into LFAs, from proof of principle, through scale-up and transfer to manufacturing.

The lateral flow assay market which is predicted to reach US$8.7 billion over the next four years comprises several stakeholders such as raw material suppliers, processors, end-product manufacturers, distributors, and regulatory organisations in the supply chain. The demand for this market is characterised by the hospitals & clinics, diagnostic laboratories, home care, food & beverage, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical & biotechnology companies, and the environmental testing industry. A significant portion of this market is comprised of POC diagnostics.

Dr Heikki Lanckriet, CEO, Expedeon AG, said: "The adoption of point-of-care diagnostics is increasing globally, due to factors such as high prevalence of infectious diseases in developing countries, increasing incidence of target diseases, and rising preference for home healthcare. Despite the growing market, there are several bottlenecks in the development of point of care assays. We are looking forward to working with Sona to overcome these challenges, without compromising on quality or reproducibility."

Darren Rowles, President and CEO, Sona Nanotech, commented: "Signing this agreement with Expedeon further strengthens the productive partnership between our organisations and our commitment to delivering value to our combined global customer base."