Former MedTech UZH Entrepreneur fellow Dr. Prajwal and his company Clemedi release Tuberculini, a molecular test for drug-resistant tuberculosis.

 

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious, airborne disease that is a major cause of poor health and one of the leading causes of death particularly in low and middle income (LMIC) countries. TB is curable and preventable. However, it is estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO) that one-fifth of newly diagnosed patients are infected with a form of TB that is resistant to the most commonly used therapeutic agents.

 

Molecular tests have revolutionized TB diagnostics and management. Currently available, rapid turnaround tests can detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium causing the disease and resistance against the main drug rifampicin. However, choosing the optimal therapy in the case of drug-resistant tuberculosis still requires time consuming bacterial culture, with results after 4-10 weeks. This can change with Tuberculini.

 

Prajwal and his research colleagues at Clemedi have developed a test that can support doctors’ decision-making by enabling a timely and personalized antibiotic therapy. The novel diagnostic tool is based on next-generation sequencing and machine learning. During the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowship, Prajwal and his team developped their first IVD test for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). The test will be able to diagnose drug resistant infections directly from patient samples and generate information within 24 hours.

This is a promising achievement to fight tuberculosis. Congratulations to Dr. Prajwal and his team!