Partnership forged to develop technology to tackle antibiotic resistance
Technology and product development company TTP has partnered with ODx a company committed to developing a system for assessing urinary tract infections (UTIs). The collaboration is focussed on bringing ODx’ system to market through TTP’s Desktop Biology service.
The ODx system offers the potential to revolutionise the turnaround time for the assessment of suspected UTIs, reduce the use of antibiotics and provider faster access to optimal antimicrobial therapy. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a serious threat to global health.
Giles Sanders, consultant in life science business development at TTP, said: “The relationship with ODx represents TTP’s commitment to work at the forefront of life science, utilising our engineering and biology teams to develop a world class hub for the development of technologies that have a real positive impact on society.”
ODx’ detection technique relies on subjecting urine samples to an antibiotic panel to assess the effectiveness of each compound at killing bacteria. TTP and ODx have further refined and developed this technology to provide rapid and multiplexed analysis. The test passes light through samples, monitoring optical response over time to investigate bacterial growth, and if or how this is affected by the presence of different antibiotics. The multiplex cartridge allows for different antibiotic panels and concentrations to be tested, depending upon clinical settings and geography.
Once released, it is expected the system will be placed in doctors’ offices, hospital outpatient clinics and potentially pharmacies. This will help assess suspected UTIs at the point of care, ensuring the most appropriate antibiotics are identified as quickly as possible. Facilitating the development of personalised treatment plans, the system will help tackle antibiotic resistance by reducing un-necessary prescriptions, whilst making sure that antibiotic courses have the maximum possible effectiveness for a given patient.
The system is being co-developed through TTP’s Desktop Biology service, which was launched in 2016 to help companies accelerate the development of their assay to a product for use in diagnostics or research. TTP has been ODx’s development partner since early 2019, enabling their detection technology through a multi skilled team from both parties covering biology, microfluidics, optics, human factors and engineering capabilities.
Giles Hamilton, CEO of ODx, said: “The talented team at TTP are a real pleasure to work with. Taking our system to the next stage rapidly would not be possible without their support. We look forward to working with them to help health care professionals in addressing one of the most challenging issues in healthcare today.”