Dengue virus is a member of the flavivirus family and its four serotypes complicate the risk management. Prior exposure of one serotype could dramatically increase the severity of infection by a second serotype. By a similar mechanism, Dengue vaccination could lead to an increased risk of a subsequent Dengue infection. Clinical trials of the only FDA-approved Dengue vaccine Dengvaxia (CYD-TDV) confirmed that seronegative recipients had an increased risk of Dengue hospitalization, thus the vaccine could only be given to people with prior Dengue exposure. Multivalent Dengue vaccines that are being developed may have the same problems as Dengvaxia requiring pre-vaccination screening of prospective recipients. A rapid POCT diagnostic tool to determine Dengue serostatus offers the benefit of on-the-spot, simultaneous screening and vaccination with one visit in a clinical office or pharmacy.
Zymeron develops a rapid test that directly takes finger prick blood without the need of blood cell separation and reports the results within 10 minutes objectively on a LED screen of a portable/hand-held reader. The test was validated with a cohort of clinical samples of Dengue and other flavivirus infection. It successfully differentiated Dengue exposure from other flavivirus infections including ZIKA, West Nile and others demonstrating zero false positive. The test performance was benchmarked against approved laboratory assays showing greater than 99% accuracy and agreement.
About Zymeron
Zymeron (www.zymeron.com) is a research-based biotechnology company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative technologies to deliver products and solutions with step-change performance. Zymeron operates as an innovation engine to advance portfolios of technologies to detect, prevent, and treat infectious diseases, immune disorders and emerging threats, and to improve the sustainability of critical life support and health maintenance.