ArcDia to Expand Multianalyte Point-of-Care Respiratory Tract Diagnostic Test

ArcDia Ltd has announced completion of a € 2.7 million funding round to expand its mariPOC^® diagnostics system. The round was led by Lifeline Ventures, with the existing investors Biothom, Veraventure and private investors participating.

mariPOC^® diagnoses nine common viruses and bacteria that are clinically important in respiratory tract infections, including influenza A/B, RS-virus and parainfluenza 1/2/3 viruses, in a single swab test at point-of-care. The test should enable targeted treatment decisions, save staff time, provide reliable results rapidly and be economically feasible for broad diagnostics use.

mariPOC^® is based on the proprietary ArcDia™ TPX detection technology (Nature Biotech 2000:18). mariPOC^® was launched to the European market in late 2010, and the product has been in routine clinical use in major hospitals for more than a year. The first distribution agreement was signed in April with Laboratories Leti S.L.U., the Spanish market leader in diagnostic testing of pneumo-respiratory diseases.

“Simply, instead of performing multiple tests that take time to administer and diagnose, and may be difficult to read, mariPOC^® provides automated analysis for nine pathogens in one sample in 20 minutes - and with a clear, readable answer. No other diagnostics test platform has been able to provide this functionality and cost-effectiveness to enable respiratory tract infections testing at point-ofcare”, says Dr Aleksi Soini, CEO at ArcDia Ltd.

“Before mariPOC^®, point-of-care multianalyte diagnostic platforms have been too complicated, expensive, difficult-to-use and inaccurate for respiratory tract infections. mariPOC^® is taking into account clinical, economic and scientific matters to enable multianalyte diagnostics for this world’s most prevalent disease cluster”, comments Timo Ahopelto, Founding Partner at Lifeline Ventures.