Molecular diagnostics developer Alveo Technologies announced that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a competitive basis to develop a rapid diagnostic to detect and differentiate between influenza A and B and influenza A/H5, also known as the avian influenza subtype, in humans.
The CDC issued an open call for the development of new diagnostics for avian influenza in June. Thus far, the virus has been confirmed in birds, cattle, poultry, and people in the U.S.; there is an increased need for preparedness in the event human-to-human transmission occurs.
Details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
In a statement, Alveo said that it has developed a portable, easy-to-use, multiplexed platform that utilizes isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology to detect and differentiate between influenza A, B, and A/H5 from a single sample. Additionally, the platform can automatically deliver accurate, real-time results at the point of need via a secure cloud-based portal for analysis and reporting, the firm noted.
Decentralizing testing capabilities and the use of the portal "can facilitate early detection and intervention, enhance public health surveillance, and improve the overall response to seasonal influenza and potential avian influenza A/H5 outbreaks," Alveo said in its statement, reducing the burden on centralized labs, increasing access to diagnostics, and strengthening pandemic preparedness and response efforts.
Alveo added that it will ship a molecular test for all relevant subtypes of avian influenza (type A, subtypes H5, H7, H9) in poultry in December.
