Commercial partnership redefining how we detect infectious diseases

MedTech & Diagnostics News: A commercial partnership with the largest pathology provider in Australia aims to introduce a cutting-edge infectious disease test to the local market, heralding a new era in the fight against gastrointestinal infections.

The collaboration between Microba Life Sciences and Sonic Healthcare’s fully owned subsidiary, Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology, comes on the heels of Sonic’s substantial $17.8 million investment in Microba back in November 2022. With Sonic acquiring a 20% stake in the Australian-based precision microbiome firm, both parties have been eager to explore new frontiers in diagnostic technology.

Microba’s MetaPanel test is a state-of-the-art in-vitro diagnostic tool designed to identify a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms responsible for gastrointestinal infectious diseases. By leveraging Microba’s pioneering metagenomics technology, the test has the power to diagnose infectious pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites, and DNA viruses with remarkable precision. MetaPanel also goes above and beyond by evaluating virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes, allowing healthcare professionals to make more informed and precise treatment decisions.

Microba CEO, Luke Reid, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, saying, “We are excited to be bringing Microba’s testing products to clinicians and their patients throughout Australia via Sonic Healthcare’s specialist national laboratory network.”

This commercial partnership marks the first arrangement between the two companies and includes plans to introduce Microba’s innovative microbiome diagnostic technology into Sonic Healthcare’s key markets. However, the highlight of the partnership is the exclusive distribution rights granted to Sonic Healthcare Australia Pathology network to supply the highly sought-after MetaPanel test throughout the entire country.

Employing over 41,000 people globally, Sonic is the largest private pathology operator in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and the UK, the second-largest in Belgium and New Zealand and the third-largest in the USA. The agreement stipulates an initial term of three years, with the potential for a two-year extension if both parties agree.

It is estimated that there are over 16 million patients globally per annum, including over 100,000 patients in Australia, which are high risk and susceptible to gastrointestinal infection who receive routine testing for pathogens in a hospital setting

Notably, this partnership aims to streamline the diagnostic process, sparing vulnerable patients from multiple, low-coverage, and sequential tests that can often lead to delayed treatment results. With MetaPanel’s capabilities, clinicians can now embark on a more efficient and accurate diagnostic journey, ultimately benefitting patients with faster and more effective treatment interventions.

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