TTP, an independent technology and product development company, has partnered with ODx Innovations, a company committed to developing a system for assessing urinary tract infections (UTIs). 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.
The ODx proprietary detection technique relies on subjecting urine samples to an antibiotic panel to assess the effectiveness of each compound. 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/how this is affected by the presence of different antibiotics. The multiplex cartridge allows different antibiotic panels and concentrations to be tested, depending upon clinical settings and geography.
Once released, it is expected that the system 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 to tackle antibiotic resistance by reducing unnecessary prescriptions, while ensuring 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 assays 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 multiskilled team from both parties covering biology, microfluidics, optics, human factors and engineering capabilities.