According to the World Health Organization’s 2022 Global Tuberculosis Report, the difference in the number of people who were infected with tuberculosis (TB) and the number of people diagnosed with TB widened in both 2020 and 2021 versus 2019 to over four million each year. To address this crisis, a substantial new supply of molecular TB tests is required. However, existing options are limited by price, test run time, electricity requirements as well as a reliance on a sputum sample type, which can be challenging to collect from many patients. Now, a new molecular TB testing system currently under development aims to provide highly accurate results at a low price at the point of care, enabling clinicians to immediately commence appropriate treatment and patient management to maximize health outcomes and minimize further spread of infection.

LumiraDx (London, UK) is developing a point of care molecular TB test to be used with the LumiraDx multi-assay platform. The LumiraDx platform is designed to run a variety of sample types and technology with 12 tests currently available. The TB test is the first molecular test the company has developed for the point of care platform. LumiraDx’s actively controlled microfluidic technology provides fast, high performance and accessible diagnostic solutions wherever the patient is for nearly any testing scenario, creating unique testing options at the point of need.

The LumiraDx molecular TB test is designed to fill the gaps and needs in the TB testing market and significantly increase access to testing. The TB testing system is being developed to provide testing at a lower cost and incorporate a tongue swab sample which makes it easier for a higher percentage of patients to be tested. In addition, the portability of the LumiraDx Platform, which weighs only 1.1kg, and uses a rechargeable battery, would allow the TB test to be used in decentralized settings across low and middle-income countries where lab access is limited. The LumiraDx Platform is the only point of care instrument that supports both molecular and immunoassay technologies.

“The advancement of our TB molecular test signifies an important step forward in LumiraDx’s mission to increase access to accurate and affordable testing worldwide as well as an important step forward in our molecular testing technology,” said Ron Zwanziger, LumiraDx CEO. 

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