HONG KONG – Prenetics Limited, a global leader in diagnostics and genetic testing, Oxford University and Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have signed multi-million dollar collaboration agreements to further develop the award-winning OxLAMP technology, a rapid, molecular testing technology for infectious diseases.
Following the successful acquisition and commercialization in October 2020 by Prenetics of Oxsed, an Oxford University spin-out company, it was envisioned that a deeper scientific and long-term collaboration was to be formed to advance molecular diagnostic testing for global unmet needs.
Professor Zhanfeng Cui, Donald Pollock Professor of Chemical Engineering at Oxford University and founding director at OSCAR said: “The initial collaboration with Prenetics has exceeded all expectations and their team led by Danny Yeung have been highly involved on a daily basis with our scientific developments. We have been impressed! When we think about the future, especially with the pandemic, it’s very apparent to us that testing is here to stay with us for years to come. With this in mind, we are excited about the future roadmap in which we develop novel scientific discoveries to aid the World with fast and accurate molecular testing globally. Our goal is to decentralize laboratory testing with rapid, highly accurate, molecular testing, not just for COVID-19 but for all infectious diseases. I’m confident we can succeed in our mission with Prenetics.”
The first OxLAMP RaViD Direct SARS-CoV-2 product has been developed on helping the global community with rapid, portable, accurate results for the detection of COVID-19. In just about 20 minutes, OxLAMP identifies the presence of COVID-19 without the use of a traditional laboratory, with 96 percent sensitivity / 99.9 percent specificity and have been put into use at airports globally, including in London Heathrow. The OxLAMP test for SARS-CoV-2 has already received CE-IVD, MHRA approval and efforts are underway for a submission to FDA under the EUA protocols for SARS-CoV-2.
A new Prenetics Innovation Technology Centre (ITC) for Advanced Molecular Diagnostics has been established, which will be based in Oxford Suzhou, Oxford University’s first overseas research centre for physical science and engineering. The Prenetics ITC will bring together leading researchers in bio-sensing, clinical virology, microbiology and medical devices in efforts to enrich technology development for molecular diagnostics. In parallel a research program is initiated in the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Danny Yeung, co-founder and Group chief executive officer of Prenetics, said: “Our new collaboration with Oxford University and OSCAR is our commitment to continually invest in R&D and by establishing our own Innovation Technology Centre, we believe it will have profound breakthroughs in molecular diagnostics. We also expect more top researchers to be based in Suzhou and in Oxford over the next three years into our technology centre. The Oxford team of professors has been amazing and I’m truly excited with our molecular diagnostic pipeline and the opportunity to decentralize laboratory testing globally.”
