Lucigen Corp. announced today that it has been awarded its largest-ever Small Business Innovation Research Phase II grant, this one to fund the research and development of a point-of-care diagnostic test for various types of influenza.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded the grant, which will be used to develop a test for influenza A, B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Current test products for the diagnosis of respiratory viral infections such as influenza are inadequate for the timely diagnosis needed for successful implementation of antiviral treatment.
A product that can accurately diagnose common respiratory viruses with high confidence in less than 30 minutes, and directly at the point of need, has yet to be developed. The SBIR grant will be applied to Lucigen’s work on devices and reagents for the molecular diagnosis of multiple RNA pathogens.
The company hopes the product will set a new standard for rapid patient care.
