CARB-X is awarding Pattern Bioscience (formerly operating as Klaris Diagnostics), based in Austin, Texas, US, up to US$6.8 million in non-dilutive funding to develop a rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test (ID/AST) to diagnose drug resistant infections quickly, and provide health professionals with vital information about which pathogen is causing the infection and which antibiotic is most likely to cure the infection.
(BOSTON, MA) – CARB-X is awarding Pattern Bioscience (formerly operating as Klaris Diagnostics), based in Austin, Texas, US, up to US$6.8 million in non-dilutive funding to develop a rapid identification and antimicrobial susceptibility test (ID/AST) to diagnose drug resistant infections quickly, and provide health professionals with vital information about which pathogen is causing the infection and which antibiotic is most likely to cure the infection.
If the project successfully achieves certain development milestones, Pattern will be eligible for up to an additional $15.1 million in funding from CARB-X. CARB-X is a consortium led by Boston University and funded by a global partnership.
“Rapid diagnostics are urgently needed to improve the treatment of drug-resistant infections. They can provide vital information about the bacteria causing an infection and take the guess-work out of treatment decisions in the first critical hours of illness,” said Erin Duffy, Chief of Research and Development of CARB-X, which is based at Boston University School of Law. “Currently, it can take days of laboratory testing to diagnose a lethal bacterial infection. Faster ID/AST results, like Pattern’s diagnostic, if successful and eventually approved for use in patients, would enable medical staff to treat infections quickly with appropriate antibiotics.”
The Pattern diagnostic aims to provide definitive test results within four hours from a simple test. Pattern’s technology combines single cell analysis with deep learning to deliver the fast and definitive diagnosis to guide antibiotic treatment decisions. Digital Culture technology enables phenotypic susceptibility testing across all common bacterial infections, thereby maximizing potential to improve antibiotic prescribing. Rapid ID/AST is an essential to improving the treatment of drug-resistant infections and saving lives. Studies suggest that for every hour delay in time to appropriate therapy, the odds of sepsis and death increase.
“We can’t imagine a better partner than CARB-X to carry out our shared mission, and we’re honored by this recognition of our unique potential to transform antibiotic treatment decisions,” said Nick Arab, Co-founder and CEO of Pattern. “This funding will allow our remarkable and growing team to advance development of Pattern’s life-saving technology.”
The award is designed to cover 80 - 90 per cent of development costs, depending on the phase of development.
Since its launch, CARB-X has supported 56 projects and has provided more than $189.3 million in non-dilutive funding. These funds are in addition to investments made by the companies themselves.
CARB-X currently supports 37 projects in development – antibiotics, vaccines, diagnostics and other antibacterial products that target the most serious drug-resistant bacteria. The Powered by CARB-X pipeline will continuously evolve, as projects progress and others fail for a variety of reasons.
Partnership driving antibacterial innovation
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 700,000 people die each year worldwide from bacterial infections including 35,000 deaths US and an estimated 33,000 deaths in Europe.
CARB-X is investing up to US$500 million in antibacterial R&D between 2016-2021. The goal is to support projects through the early phases of development, so that they will attract additional private or public support for further clinical development and approval for use in patients.
CARB-X funding for the Pattern award is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the Wellcome Trust, and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
This news release is supported by the Cooperative Agreement Number IDSEP160030 from ASPR/BARDA and by awards from Wellcome Trust, and Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or other CARB-X funders.
Media Contacts:
CARB-X:
Jennifer Robinson carbxpr@bu.edu
+1.514.914.8974
Pattern:
Kyle Fieleke kyle@pattern.bio
About CARB-X
Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) is a global non-profit partnership dedicated to accelerating early development antibacterial R&D to address the rising global threat of drug-resistant bacteria. CARB-X is led by Boston University and funding is provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the US Department of Health and Human Services , the Wellcome Trust, a global charity based in the UK working to improve health globally, Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and with in-kind support from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). A non-profit partnership, CARB-X is investing up to $500 million from 2016-2021 to support innovative antibiotics and other therapeutics, vaccines, and rapid diagnostics . CARB-X supports the world’s largest and most innovative pipeline of preclinical products against drug-resistant infections. CARB-X is headquartered at Boston University School of Law. carb-x.org/. Follow us on Twitter @CARB_X.
About Pattern
Pattern Bioscience (formerly Klaris Diagnostics) is a privately held in vitro diagnostics company founded in 2016 to help combat the problem of antibiotic resistance. Pattern is developing a next-generation clinical microbiology platform based on its patented phenotypic single-cell technology that can rapidly identify pathogens and determine their antibiotic response without the need for traditional time-consuming culture steps. Pattern’s Digital CultureTM technology relies on functional endpoints that encompass all possible resistance mechanisms, resulting in more comprehensive and reliable diagnoses compared to rapid genotypic tests. The platform will deliver more reliable diagnoses days faster than the current standard of care. www.pattern.bio Twitter @Patternbio.
About BARDA and NIAID
The US Department of Health and Human Services works to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans, providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. Within HHS, ASPR’s mission is to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats. ASPR leads the nation’s medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies. BARDA provides a comprehensive, integrated, portfolio approach to the advanced research and development, innovation, acquisition, and manufacturing of medical countermeasures – vaccines, drugs, therapeutics, diagnostic tools, and non-pharmaceutical products for public health emergency threats. These threats include chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases. NIH is the primary US federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses.
About Wellcome Trust
Wellcome exists to improve health for everyone by helping great ideas to thrive. We’re a global charitable foundation, both politically and financially independent. We support scientists and researchers, take on big problems, fuel imaginations and spark debate. The Wellcome Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 210183. Its sole trustee is The Wellcome Trust Limited, a company registered in England and Wales, no. 2711000 (whose registered office is at 215 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE, UK)
About BMBF
Education and research are the foundations for our future. The promotion of education, science and research by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) represents an important contribution to securing Germany’s prosperity. Education and research are a Federal Government policy priority, which is reflected in the development of the funding it is making available to these fields.
About the Global AMR Innovation Fund (GAMRIF)
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is the UK Government department which is responsible for helping people to live more independent, healthier lives for longer.
The partnership with CARB-X is part of DHSC’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund (GAMRIF). GAMRIF was established to provide seed funding for innovative research and development, specifically in neglected and underinvested areas, in the field of AMR. GAMRIF is a £50m UK Aid investment, which means all projects funded must support research primarily and directly for the benefit of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Fund takes a ‘One Health’ approach, seeking to invest in potential solutions to reduce the threat of AMR in humans, animals, fish and the environment. The Fund seeks to leverage additional global funding through interaction with international government bodies, public-private partnerships, product development partnerships, global funding mechanisms and global fora.
About Boston University
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 33,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. For further information, please contact Jeremy Thompson at jeremy22@bu.edu. www.bu.edu.
