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Japan-based Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund has announced an investment of approximately JPY 679 million ($4.5 million) for the development of diagnostics for tuberculosis (TB); in addition to an investment of approximately JPY 15.9 million ($0.1 million) for a drug discovery project for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis (by Kitasato University, Nagasaki University, University of Tokyo, and Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi).
The $4.5 million funding is towards a new TB diagnostic development project by US-based diagnostic developer Fluxus, Inc., in partnership with Fujirebio, Inc., a developer of clinical diagnostics in Japan, and Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany.
This project will leverage Fluxus' cutting-edge ultrasensitive detection technology to develop and validate a urine-based TB biomarker lipoarabinomannan (LAM) assay on its automated benchtop immunoassay analyzer.
Additionally, the project will design and develop critical components for a portable, ultrasensitive point-of-care (PoC) system that integrates the urine LAM test. This advanced technology will enable rapid, accurate, and accessible diagnosis across a broader patient population, contributing to improved clinical outcomes and reduced transmission.
