ShanX Medtech, a spinoff of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), is raising €24 million in funding to develop a very rapid antimicrobial susceptibility test. Using the test, doctors will not only be able to determine whether a patient needs antibiotics, but also which specific type of antibiotics produce the best results.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is considered one of the biggest threats to global public health. AMR means that micro-organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites become insensitive to antibiotics, antivirals or antifungals, among others. As a result, infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat. This can lead to more severe symptoms, more hospital admissions and a higher risk of death, among other things.
Incorrect or unnecessary prescription of antibiotics contributes to AMR. However, current susceptibility tests (such as an antibiogram) give results only after several days. As a result, the antibiotic course initially prescribed may have to be adjusted once the final test results are known.
Faster results
ShanX Medtech is working on a new test for antimicrobial susceptibility that should provide faster and more practical results. The test will give results within one hour, without the need to process the sample first. The test is also suitable for many different microbes. With the help of the 24 million euros now raised, ShanX Medtech aims to accelerate the development of its antimicrobial susceptibility test.
The test is based on FLORA, a specialised chemical formula with two core components: an enriched nutrient medium that stimulates the metabolism of microbes by activating specific metabolic pathways, and sensitive fluorescent sensors that measure chemical changes outside the cell in real time - directly linked to the metabolic activity of the microbes.
Measuring more than 20 chemical parameters
With FLORA, ShanX Medtech can measure more than 20 chemical parameters both in the absence and presence of a wide range of antimicrobial agents. The technology forms the basis of ShanX Medtech's platform, which enables rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing. The platform provides clinicians and researchers with insights into the behaviour of microbes, which can improve the accuracy and speed of diagnostics and treatment decisions.
ShanX Medtech was founded in 2019 by Dr Sophia E. Shanko (Founder & CEO) and Ardjan van der Linden (Chief Scientific Officer). Shanko says: "We founded ShanX Medtech in response to the story of one patient, which showed how big the consequences are when diagnostic results come late. Our goal is to provide doctors with readily available diagnostic data so they can act with certainty. This funding brings us a big step closer to making ultra-fast sensitivity tests available, both in laboratories and directly at the patient (point-of-care)."
15 million from investors
The money comes partly from investors, who put a total of €15 million into the company. Investors include Borski Fund, NextGen Ventures, CbusineZ, Brabant Development Agency (BOM), Invest-NL and a business angel investor.
In addition, ShanX Medtech has been awarded a contract worth €8.85 million by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), funded from the EU4Health programme. The contract is aimed at accelerating the development of rapid, point-of-care tests for antimicrobial susceptibility (AST), with the aim of counteracting AMR.
For this contract, ShanX Medtech is collaborating with biotech companies Aidian Oy (Finland) and Biosurfit S.A. (Portugal), medical products manufacturer Unitron B.V. (Netherlands) and research foundation Fundación para la Investigación Biomédica del Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal (Spain).
