SpeeDx Receives CARB-X Funding to Develop Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnostic
SpeeDx Pty. Ltd., a developer of innovative molecular diagnostic solutions, announced it has been awarded up to US $1.8 million from CARB-X, a global non-profit partnership dedicated to supporting research and development to address the rising threat of drug-resistant bacteria. SpeeDx represents the first Australian-based diagnostics company to receive CARB-X funding and a further $1.9 million will be available once the project reaches defined milestones. Funds will be used to develop a rapid test for the combined detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, while identifying antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of gonorrhea infections towards common antibiotic treatments. Chlamydia (CT) and gonorrhea (NG) are globally significant sexually transmitted infections with serious health complications if left untreated,1 and AMR NG is an urgent public health threat.2
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210510005228/en/
SpeeDx aims to develop an affordable, fast (60 mins), point-of-care test for the detection of bacteria that cause CT and NG, in addition to determining the susceptibility of NG to cefixime, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. Utilizing their newly patented InSignia™ technology to both assess the presence of active bacterial infection and AMR status, SpeeDx is collaborating with QuantuMDx to port the test onto their Q-POC™ sample to answer qPCR & integrated microarray system - a small battery-powered, simple-to-use device suitable for remote settings. (Graphic: Business Wire)
Current antibiotic susceptibility testing methods fail to offer timely and comprehensive susceptibility/resistance information, especially in resource-limited settings. SpeeDx aims to develop an affordable, fast (<60 mins), point-of-care test for the detection of bacteria that cause CT and NG, in addition to determining the susceptibility of NG to three cheap, orally administered, and accessible antibiotics: cefixime, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin. SpeeDx will utilize their newly patented In Signia™ technology to both assess the presence of active bacterial infection and AMR status. SpeeDx is collaborating with QuantuMDx to port the test onto their Q-POC™ sample to answer qPCR & integrated microarray system - a small battery-powered, simple-to-use device suitable for remote settings.
“We are working closely with QuantuMDx to supply affordable and innovative diagnostics with the goal of significantly improving the standard of care and antibiotic stewardship in STI management,” said Colin Denver, SpeeDx CEO. “This project is an excellent application of our recently developed In Signia technology and the support from CARB-X for this venture will help accelerate this development and extend access in critical need areas.”
Jonathan O’Halloran, Chief Executive, QuantuMDx added: “Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat and requires a global response. With rapidly rising rates of AMR, it is no longer good enough to simply provide a pathogen ID, we must also determine what therapeutics the infection is resistant to and which ones the infection are sensitive to. Performing this all within a single assay, as the patient waits, will be transformational. We launch Q-POC™ - our rapid PCR diagnostic system - later this year and we’re looking forward to this, our first commercial collaboration, with SpeeDx.”
About SpeeDx
Founded in 2009, SpeeDx is an Australian-based private company with subsidiary offices in Austin and London, and distributors across Europe. SpeeDx specializes in molecular diagnostic solutions that go beyond simple detection to offer comprehensive information for improved patient management. Innovative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology has driven market-leading multiplex detection and priming strategies. Product portfolios focus on multiplex diagnostics for sexually transmitted infection (STI), antibiotic resistance markers, and respiratory disease. For more information on SpeeDx please see: https://plexpcr.com
About CARB-X
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funding is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Wellcome Trust, a global charity based in the UK working to improve health globally, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). CARB-X is investing up to $480 million from 2016-2022 to support innovative antibiotics and other therapeutics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics. CARB-X supports the world’s largest and most innovative pipeline of preclinical products against drug-resistant infections. CARB-X is headquartered at Boston University School of Law. carb-x.org/. Follow us on Twitter @CARB_X.
About QuantuMDx
QuantuMDx Group is an ambitious company with a global vision of empowering the world to control and eradicate disease by making transformative, quality point-of-care diagnostic technologies universally accessible. QuantuMDx has operations and strategic partnerships in the United States, Asia, Australasia, Europe and Africa – keeping it at the forefront of molecular diagnostics. For more information go to: www.quantumdx.com
References
- WHO, News Release: More than 1 million new curable sexually transmitted infections every day, 6 June 2016
- WHO, News Release: Antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea on the rise, new drugs needed, 7 July 2017
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210510005228/en/
Contact information
SpeeDx
Australia, New Zealand and Europe
Madeline O’Donoghue - SpeeDx
+61 406 582 808
QuantuMDx
UK
Debra Daglish, QuantuMDx Group,
+44 870 803 1234
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Syngenta and Statkraft Sign Five-Year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement26.1.2026 09:00:00 EET | Press release
Syngenta, one of the world’s biggest agricultural innovation companies, and Statkraft, a leading provider of innovative green energy solutions in Europe, have signed a virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) covering Syngenta’s CP & Seeds operations for a period of five years. The volume amounts to 125 GWh per year and a total of 625 GWh of green electricity by the end of the contract in 2030. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260125701845/en/ Syngenta and Statkraft sign five-year virtual power purchase agreement With the vPPA, Statkraft is supporting Syngenta in advancing its sustainability strategy through the purchase of renewable energy. "This is Syngenta's first vPPA, marking a pivotal step in our decarbonization strategy," said Rachel Stenson Bugnon, Global Head CP Sourcing at Syngenta. "This tailored approach allows us to make meaningful progress toward our carbon reduction targets for Syngenta AG while m
Samsung Epis Holdings Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results26.1.2026 09:00:00 EET | Press release
Samsung Epis Holdings (KRX: 0126Z0), an investment company dedicated to innovations in biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2025. “We are very pleased to report strong year-to-date sales growth in our first financial results following the spin-off. Our organic growth has been driven by solid performance across our biosimilars portfolio," said Kyung-Ah Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Samsung Epis Holdings. “We are continuing to make meaningful progress in our regulatory and commercial milestones with our existing biosimilars portfolio, while strategically investing in our future pipeline with a disciplined, long-term approach. We aim to drive sustainable growth and create long-term value for our shareholders, so that we can remain committed to improving patient access worldwide.” Samsung Bioepis Fourth Quarter & Fiscal Year 2025 Results In the fourth quarter of 2025, Samsung Bioepis achieved a
Merz Therapeutics Submits Application to the European Medicines Agency for New Indication of XEOMIN ® in Pediatric Spasticity26.1.2026 09:00:00 EET | Press release
Merz Therapeutics, a leading player in neurology-focused specialty pharma, today announced that it has completed the regulatory submission for XEOMIN® (incobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of spasticity of the lower and upper limb in children and adolescents aged 2–17 years in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA). If approved, the indication would expand access to an established botulinum neurotoxin therapy for some of the youngest and most vulnerable patients across Europe. Spasticity is a common and often debilitating condition in children and adolescents with certain neurological conditions, leading to increased muscle tone that can significantly limit movement, function and independence. One of the most common underlying causes of spasticity in children is cerebral palsy (CP), the most frequent motor disability in childhood, with spastic forms accounting for approximately 80% of all cases. In more severe cases, spasticity associated with CP can also affect spe
TOURISE Reframes Tourism Sector as Global Powerhouse on a Path to $16 Trillion During Davos24.1.2026 01:22:00 EET | Press release
TOURISE advanced tourism’s role as a vital sector connecting industries, economies, and regions to address shared global challenges at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260123950180/en/ His Excellency Ahmed Al‑Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE, convenes executives from Trip.com, Visa, TikTok, PayPal, Salesforce, Forbes, Avolta, ByteDance, and more at Davos 2026 Often overlooked as a siloed industry, TOURISE pressed the importance of tourism being recognized as a strategic sector, contributing one in every $10 to global GDP and uplifting every industry it touches. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE said alliances and collaboration across sectors will see tourism continue to rise. “Tourism is more than a lifestyle sector, it functions as a strategic economic system. TOURISE
Zycus Named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Source-to-Pay Suites23.1.2026 21:00:00 EET | Press release
Zycus, a global provider in Source-to-Pay (S2P) technology, today announced that it has been recognized as a Leaderin the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Source-to-Pay Suites. We believe the report points to Zycus’ continued investment in Merlin Intake to streamline user experience and Agentic AI to support workflows such as tail-spend management via autonomous negotiation. This aligns with Zycus’ “Intake to Outcomes” (I2O) belief: simplify how work enters procurement, orchestrate execution with Agentic AI, and deliver outcomes with the right governance and control. “Being recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay Suites reflects our long-term commitment to innovation, customer outcomes, and responsible AI,” said Aatish Dedhia, Founder & CEO of Zycus. “Merlin Agentic AI is designed to move beyond task automation towards end-to-end outcome-based autonomous workflows, contextual decision-making helping procurement teams operate with greater speed, intellige
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom