Phage Based Diagnostics

01359 231856

Twitter Youtube Linkedin Envelope
  • Home
  • About
    • About PBD Biotech
    • Industry Awards
    • Management Team
    • International
  • Actiphage
    • About Actiphage
    • Benefits of Actiphage
    • Rapid detection of mycobacterial disease
  • Bovine
    • Bovine TB
    • Johne’s Disease
    • Dairy Industry
  • Latest
    • Articles
    • Events
  • Case Studies
  • Research
  • Contact
    • Product Order Form
    • Contacting us
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • About PBD Biotech
    • Industry Awards
    • Management Team
    • International
  • Actiphage
    • About Actiphage
    • Benefits of Actiphage
    • Rapid detection of mycobacterial disease
  • Bovine
    • Bovine TB
    • Johne’s Disease
    • Dairy Industry
  • Latest
    • Articles
    • Events
  • Case Studies
  • Research
  • Contact
    • Product Order Form
    • Contacting us

Human TB study into new blood test achieves funding following successful proof of concept

Worldwide a quarter of a million children die of tuberculosis (TB) each year, early diagnosis would help to save their lives but most are unable to produce the sample of mucus that is needed for the current test.
  • December 27, 2019
  • Human health

Actiphage®, developed by PBD Biotech, is a blood test for TB that was originally developed for cattle and other animals, which offers potential as an alternative diagnostic.

Following its successful proof-of-concept trial, the University Hospitals of Leicester have gained further funding for a pilot programme as the next step towards full validation of Actiphage for use in humans.

The collaborative study, between the University Hospitals of Leicester, University of Nottingham and PBD Biotech, has gained Medical Research Council funding. This funding has allowed a larger cohort of patients to be tested and researchers are co collecting data from almost 100 patients with both active and latent TB infection. The aim is to provide additional evidence for the use of Actiphage as a rapid, cost-effective tool to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen that causes TB in humans.

TB is the world’s most deadly infectious disease and latest figures show an estimated 10 million people worldwide fall ill with the serious bacterial infection (WHO, 2018).

Currently, the only rapid diagnostics for TB rely on testing sputum – phlegm brought up from the deep in the lungs – however 40% of adults with TB and the majority of children struggle to bring up phlegm. Additionally, it is difficult to culture the slow growing bacteria on plates, yet this is the current gold standard diagnostic.

Actiphage can detect mycobacteria in a single blood sample. It uses a specific bacteriophage virus that multiplies rapidly in live mycobacterial cells; a natural process, which causes the cells to burst open releasing their DNA that can then be identified using PCR tests. So, Actiphage can be used to detect very low levels of infection, often before symptoms have developed and the disease becomes contagious.

The earlier proof-of-concept work using Actiphage, published in medical journal Clinical Infectious Diseases (June 2019), showed that the test could detect the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in blood – not only in patients with active disease but also in the very early stages of infection.

The test was able to identify live mycobacteria in the blood of three patients with latent TB, and two of these were the only ones from the latent TB group who went on to developed active TB more than six months later; indicating that Actiphage could have a predictive role in identifying people with the infection at risk of developing the disease.

Mark Hammond, CEO of PBD Biotech, comments: “Actiphage is a unique blood test for TB and is currently being used to improve disease management within farm animals and wildlife, to provide early detection of disease. It is known that TB is zoonotic and can be transmitted from animals to humans, or through unpasteurised dairy products, so having a rapid tool that can be deployed in a One Health approach to managing the disease would be highly beneficial.”

Preliminary results and early evidence from the latest Actiphage trial across Leicester’s Hospitals will be available mid-2020.

Share:

Related posts

Loading...
Global Plan to End TB cost of inaction

Improved diagnostics priority in Global Plan to End TB

November 21, 2022
The Global Plan to End TB is a costed public health plan. It aims to cut deaths by 90% in 8 years. A key recommendation of the report is to universally replace sputum microscopy with rapid molecular diagnostics.
Global Plan to End TB cost of inaction

Improved diagnostics priority in Global Plan to End TB

November 21, 2022
The Global Plan to End TB is a costed public health plan. It aims to cut deaths by 90% in...
Pictured from left are Ray Harris from Foresight, Sandy Reid of Mercia Asset Management, Jane Theaker of PBD Biotech and Mark Wilcockson of British Business Bank

PBD Biotech raises further £2.4m for its breakthrough tuberculosis blood test

October 17, 2022
Human tuberculosis is second only to Covid as the world’s most fatal infectious disease. PBD Biotech has developed a diagnostic with potential to revolutionise management of TB.
Pictured from left are Ray Harris from Foresight, Sandy Reid of Mercia Asset Management, Jane Theaker of PBD Biotech and Mark Wilcockson of British Business Bank

PBD Biotech raises further £2.4m for its breakthrough tuberculosis blood test

October 17, 2022
Human tuberculosis is second only to Covid as the world’s most fatal infectious disease. PBD Biotech has developed a diagnostic...
Rapid Research in Diagnostics Development for TB Network R2D2 TB Network

Promising TB diagnostic Actiphage selected for evaluation by R2D2 TB Network

September 30, 2022
Ease of use at the point of need is vital for the roll out of a diagnostic, so PBD Biotech, developers of Actiphage - a rapid blood test for early-stage tuberculosis - is partnering with the Rapid Research in Diagnostics...
Rapid Research in Diagnostics Development for TB Network R2D2 TB Network

Promising TB diagnostic Actiphage selected for evaluation by R2D2 TB Network

September 30, 2022
Ease of use at the point of need is vital for the roll out of a diagnostic, so PBD Biotech,...
ECCMID

Actiphage TB diagnostic finds live mycobacterium tuberculosis in the blood of people with incipient TB

April 23, 2022
A clinical trial of Actiphage, a promising new diagnostic for tuberculosis infection, has shown for the first time that live bacteria can be detected in the blood of people with incipient TB infection.
ECCMID

Actiphage TB diagnostic finds live mycobacterium tuberculosis in the blood of people with incipient TB

April 23, 2022
A clinical trial of Actiphage, a promising new diagnostic for tuberculosis infection, has shown for the first time that live...
1 2 Next »

developers of phage-based diagnostics

Contact Us

Registered Company Address
Grosvenor St Paul’s
Grosvenor House
11 St Paul’s Square
Birmingham
B3 1RB
United Kingdom

T: 01359 231856
info@pbdbio.com

Privacy and cookies policy

© 2022 PBD Biotech Ltd

design: out of house

  • Follow Us!
PBD Biotech

More reasons to invest in better diagnostics for #tuberculosis 1.6 million preventable deaths and increased pressure on the few treatments available. #EndTB

Read More
PBD Biotech

Delighted Dr Marie Roskrow is the new Chair @PBDBiotech to support development of our rapid TB diagnostic. A physician-scientist she brings expertise from @KinomicaLtd @ImevaX along with Patrys Limited, METALINEAR LIMITED, ArcticZymes Technologies

Read More
PBD Biotech

Testing 4 tuberculosis gained renewed attention in 2022 reports @360DxNews Highlighting $30m funding @UNITAID for @FINDdx also @PBDBiotech gaining $2.9M for its blood-based test to predict which individuals with latent TB will progress to active disease

Read More