AACC Disruptive Technology Award Finalists Tackle Cancer, Women's Health, and STDs

Finalists for AACC’s 2022 Disruptive Technology Award will present early-stage cancer detection technology, point-of-care molecular diagnostics using optical detection, and a rapid sexually transmitted disease assay later this month during the 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo in Chicago.

The award recognizes innovative testing and disruptive technology solutions that improve patient care through diagnostic performance or access to high quality testing. Finalists are San Diego-based Biological Dynamics; Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Nanopath; and San Jose, California-based Visby Medical, AACC recently announced. A panel of expert judges will select an award winner during the session on Monday, July 25.

Biological Dynamics will present its Verita Isolation Platform, which will become the basis of an annual screening blood test for multiple cancers, the company says. The platform uses technology for isolating nanoparticles and macromolecules from whole blood, plasma, serum, urine, and saliva. The company recently received an FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for its first liquid biopsy assay that uses the platform for the early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma using exosomal proteins.

Nanopath will present its Nanopath Platform, a solid-state biosensing platform with ultrasensitive optical detection. This feature eliminates the need for nucleic acid amplification and provides clinically actionable genetic information in less than 15 minutes. Company officials said the platform should be a “go-to” system for routine women’s health screening at the point of care because it enables high-complexity tests and allows physicians and clinics to get testing revenue. To date, the company has generated preliminary data in two clinical indications: human papillomavirus genotyping and urinary tract infection characterization.

Visby Medical PRC Point-of-Care Tests run on an instrument and cartridge-free, single-use PCR platform that fits in the palm of the hand and delivers accurate results about causes of serious infections in under 30 minutes. The test would eliminate the need to send samples to remote central labs for processing and has been shown to detect DNA from chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. The platform could benefit patients in remote areas without access to high complexity labs.

The three companies were chosen from six semifinalists announced in May. The semifinalists also include:

• Cytovale. Its IntelliSep test quickly and accurately assesses the immune dysregulation that separates sepsis from other conditions. The test has the ability to detect sepsis risk by directly interrogating over 30,000 white blood cells collected from a standard blood draw and analyzing the cells via a machine learning algorithm. The test generates easily interpreted results in under 10 minutes.
• FloBio. Its Physio system is an innovative functional hemostasis IVD for emergency critical care clinicians. Physio provides real-time determination of hemostasis state and anticoagulation in less than 15 minutes. The test combines hemodynamic flow and discrete activation to mimic and measure in vivo physiological blood clotting.
• Co-Diagnostics will highlight its YourTest PCR, which detects SARS-CoV-2 via real-time PCR in 30 minutes or less. Designed for use in a household or in a point-of-care setting, the test uses a reusable compact hub and a single-use cartridge for both single and multiple pathogen assays. The test also includes mobile app-guided instructions and results reporting, including video certification of results. Secure cloud-connected software analyzes raw data, with results displayed in the user’s mobile device, allowing optional transmission to the user’s electronic health records.

Attendees can also get a test of how investors evaluate early-stage companies this year in the AACC Clinical Lab Expo. The Expo will host Start Up City from DxPx US. DxPx matches startups with investors and facilitates licensing, financing, co-development, and opportunities for mergers and acquisitions. AACC attendees are welcome to experience DxPx Startup City for free on Thursday to get a sneak peek at young companies in the Expo Hall.

Deborah Levenson is a freelance writer in College Park, Maryland. +Email: [email protected]