GenomeKey is developing a next-generation in vitro diagnostic device that’s set to become the new standard for bacterial identification. The device will be able to detect and identify bacteria directly from patient blood, delivering a full antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile in just hours.

This major grant from Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X), a non-profit, public-private partnership, has been awarded to help GenomeKey build a functioning, automated prototype of their desktop diagnostic device.

“We have a vision of the world where nobody dies from a treatable infection” says Dr Michael Roberts, CEO, “right now, the gold standard test takes too long and has a high false-negative rate. We’re giving clinicians the information they need, much faster, so they can deliver rapid diagnostics testing and precision medicine for a more targeted treatment.”

Based in Bristol, UK, GenomeKey is a team of scientists, engineers, clinicians, and entrepreneurs who came together in 2019 with a vision to build an in vitro diagnostic device that would completely transform the way we diagnose and treat sepsis and other bacterial infections.

“We live in an exciting time for medical science” says Dr Roberts “where the twin revolutions in next generation sequencing and machine learning now make it possible for us to identify and profile bacteria directly from patient blood, accurately and cheaply. We’re on a mission to save lives, improve outcomes and fight the global threat of antimicrobial resistance.”

Since its founding in 2016, CARB-X has provided more than US$450M to more than 100 projects to address bacterial infections. These projects include vaccines, rapid diagnostics, antibiotics, and other non-traditional therapeutics and preventatives. The CARB-X portfolio is the world’s most scientifically diverse antibacterial R&D portfolio.

“It is imperative to direct treatment quickly with the right antibiotic treatment, and GenomeKey’s technology has the potential to help practitioners direct the appropriate treatment by delivering a phenotypic antibiotic sensitivity prediction based on rapid whole genome sequencing direct from blood,” said Erin Duffy, PhD, Chief of R&D at CARB-X. 

Some facts about AMR & Sepsis:

• Sepsis kills 11 million people each year, that’s more than cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
• Sepsis treatment costs the UK £2billion each year.
• AMR kills approx. 1.27million people each year.
• The World Bank estimates that AMR could result in US$ 1 trillion additional healthcare costs by 2050
• UNEP predict 10,000,000 people per year could die from AMR related deaths by 2050 if we don’t act now.
• AMR is a global problem, affecting countries in all regions and at all income levels.

CARB-X funding for this research is supported by federal funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority; under agreement number 75A50122C00028, and by awards from Wellcome (WT224842), and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).The content of this press release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of any CARB-X funders. 

About CARB-X

CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting early-stage antibacterial research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X supports innovative therapeutics, preventatives and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funded by a consortium of governments and foundations. CARB-X funds only projects that target drug-resistant bacteria highlighted on the CDC’s Antibiotic Resistant Threats list, or the Priority Bacterial Pathogens list published by the WHO, with a priority on those pathogens deemed Serious or Urgent on the CDC list or Critical or High on the WHO list. https://carb-x.org/ | X (formerly Twitter) @CARB_X