Lumos Diagnostics, a Melbourne, Australia, firm specializing in rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies, announced that it is expanding an existing deal with the Burnet Diagnostics Initiative (BDI) that will advance a new POC test for monitoring liver health in an upcoming clinical trial.
In a statement, Lumos said that the project marks the continuation of feasibility studies conducted in 2023 to generate a prototype alanine transaminase (ALT) test for clinical specimen evaluation in a healthcare setting.
Lumos will produce ALT lateral flow tests, customized Lumos readers, and a mobile phone app for use with the BDI POC ALT testing system in an upcoming U.S.-based clinical trial with high-risk patients undergoing routine liver function monitoring.
High levels of ALT in the blood can indicate liver injury, possibly from a drug reaction. A POC ALT test that provides rapid results would allow faster detection of acute liver toxicity caused by adverse drug reactions.
Lumos said that results from the BDI ALT test clinical trial will be used to guide future product development, including a home-based test.
The BDI is a project of the Burnet Institute in Melbourne aimed at diagnostic product development through strategic partnerships in the IVD industry.
