ProtonDx and Katalyst Announce Strategic Partnership to Distribute Dragonfly™ In Vitro Diagnostic

• Exclusive rights to distribute CE-IVD marked Dragonfly diagnostic system in key client segments.
• Dragonfly System able to detect five common respiratory pathogens at once.

LONDON, UK, January 09, 2023 / B3C newswire / -- ProtonDx, an in vitro diagnostic company designing, manufacturing and marketing rapid, accurate, multi-pathogen, point-of-need diagnostic solutions, announced a strategic partnership with innovative commercial POCT provider Katalyst Laboratories, to distribute ProtonDx’s Dragonfly™ rapid in vitro diagnostic system.

Under the terms of the agreement, ProtonDx has granted Katalyst exclusive rights to the distribution of Dragonfly multi-pathogen detection system in a variety of Katalyst client segments. Katalyst has focused on providing disruptive diagnostic solutions that deliver customer-centric services to meet the needs of the rapidly evolving diagnostics landscape, making them an ideal partner for the new Dragonfly system.

Bob Enck, Chairman and President of ProtonDx, stated: “I am pleased to announce our strategic partnership with Katalyst for the distribution of our proven Dragonfly diagnostic system. Katalyst are leading the evolution of in-field diagnostic testing for the film and TV production industries, providing ready access to novel diagnostic solutions to support operational continuity for these people-centric businesses. Dragonfly is a potential game-changer in the diagnostics industry - providing rapid and accurate results, irrespective of location.”

Timely pathogen determination, wherever it is needed, can also help mitigate unnecessary usage of antibiotics and therefore, play a role in helping to address the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Dragonfly enables cost-effective multi-pathogen detection, using proprietary ultra‑fast nucleic acid extraction and isothermal detection, achieving PCR-equivalent sensitivity and specificity in less than 30 minutes from sample to result.

Andrew Wheeler, co-founder and CEO of Katalyst Laboratories, said: “Dragonfly offers robust infectious disease detection and testing capability at the point-of-need. We are excited to be working with the expert team at ProtonDx and distributing this stand-out solution that can deliver high-quality molecular diagnostic testing anywhere. By facilitating robust, accurate and reliable point-of-need testing, Dragonfly complements our comprehensive range of testing solutions. Dragonfly offers the diagnostics community a unique and cost-effective testing solution that can be readily adapted to support the rapidly evolving need for accurate pathogen detection. Something that I believe can add value not only within the film & TV market, but across all point-of-care channels.”

A number of pathogen identification Test Panels are available on the Dragonfly platform, including the 5-in-1 Respiratory Test Panel. Respiratory tract infections often exhibit similar symptoms and thus require accurate diagnostic differentiation to ensure that patients receive appropriate treatment. The multi-pathogen Dragonfly panel is intended to aid in the identification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A Virus (IAV), Influenza B Virus (IBV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Rhinovirus (HRV) in samples from patients regardless of gender or age.

Dragonfly’s reliability, ease-of-use, and portability have been validated by its successful deployment at the Winter Olympic Games and the 2022 Commonwealth Games¹ in Birmingham, UK, where it was successful deployed as a key part of the diagnostic testing portfolio. This rapid, accurate and robust system is poised to revolutionise rapid infectious disease diagnosis and tracking worldwide.

¹ Also known as the XXII Commonwealth Games and Birmingham 2022.

About ProtonDx
ProtonDx Ltd was founded in 2020 by Professor Pantelis Georgiou (CEO), Assistant Professor Jesus Rodriguez-Manzano (CSO), and Dr Nicolas Moser (CTO), of Imperial College London to deliver ultra-rapid, extremely precise, molecular testing for everyone at the point-of-need to facilitate detection of infectious pathogens worldwide.
Its core technology builds on a decade of innovative research in diagnostics and collaboration between engineering, medicine and molecular biology carried out at Imperial College London by a dedicated multidisciplinary team. ProtonDx team’s ambition is to ensure tests can be conducted quickly, accurately and cost-effectively, wherever and whenever they are needed.

About Dragonfly™
Dragonfly™ is a portable, rapid diagnostic system able to identify multiple viral pathogens at the point-of-need. This simple to use CE-IVD marked molecular diagnostic assay capability is provided in a robust and portable format, delivering cost-effective screening for multiple pathogens from a single sample, in under 30 minutes. Laboratory conditions are not required, enabling screening tests to be performed in the field with minimal operator training. Internal assay controls ensure correct sampling and minimise false negative results.
Each Dragonfly Test Panel has been developed using proprietary chemistry/reagents to facilitate detection of specific pathogens, when used in conjunction with the Dragonfly platform. The 5-in-1 Respiratory Test Panel delivers cost efficient accurate determination of the presence of up to five respiratory pathogens from a single sample - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A Virus (IAV), Influenza B Virus (IBV), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Human Rhinovirus (HRV).
The Dragonfly system is CE-marked and complies with the European In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Directive (IVDD 98/79/EC) and is commercially available only in countries accepting a CE-IVD registration. Not available in the USA.

About Katalyst Group
At Katalyst, we pride ourselves on having a range of products specific to our client's needs; our products cover a broad spectrum of diagnostic tools, COVID-19 detection methods and a state-of-the-art toxicology department. Katalyst Laboratories have a UKAS accredited laboratory, with a dedicated team of technicians, who will provide best in class verification and validation studies for our manufacturers. At Katalyst we are happy to help with any workflow issues brought to light by new products. We will develop workflows and techniques required to increase throughput and usability of any product manufacturers offer.

Contacts

sciTribe
Dr Lynne Trowbridge / Dr Priya Kalia
lynne@scitibe.life / priya@scitribe.life
+44 7703 769 299

Keywords: Humans; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Respiratory Tract Infections; Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human; Influenza, Human; Influenza A virus; Influenza B virus; SARS-CoV-2; Rhinovirus; COVID-19; Nucleic Acids; DNA; RNA; Communicable Diseases; Biomedical Technology; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Delivery of Health Care; United Kingdom

Published by B3C newswire