UK-based EDX Medical has developed a test designed to identify and characterise the early signs of pneumonia in critically ill hospitalised patients.
EDX has partnered with the intensive care unit (ICU) at Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust (CUH) to support the test’s further development of the test.
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Developed on CUH’s John Farman ICU, the test is the result of a public-private partnership involving the University of Cambridge, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Cambridge Enterprise.
According to EDX, the test is designed to identify the DNA or RNA of the microbes that cause lung infection in critically ill patients, yielding results within 60 seconds. This enables doctors to quickly choose the most effective treatment for the patient.
NHS England estimates that 75,000 patients develop hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) annually, with the figure at around 100,000 US patients a year.
Subject to validation, EDX expects the test to be available for CUH patients later this year. Pending the test’s success, CUH has also entered a service agreement with EDX to receive the tests over the next four years.
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By GlobalDataIn addition, under an existing collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific, EDX said it plans to develop and validate a kit version that can be provided to other hospitals and laboratories throughout the UK and Europe, pending requisite regulatory approvals.
EDX founder Professor Chris Evans commented: “This is a massively important project which will result in a world-class test that will demonstrate the immediate impact of new clinical diagnostics in frontline NHS hospitals, saving both lives and resources.”
The development of EDX’s test resonates with a key tenet of the UK Labour Government’s 10-year plan for the NHS to bring the “analogue health system into the digital age” and focus more heavily on preventative care to treat patients faster and earlier.
To realise the ambition, among others, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, revealed on 11 June a £29bn ($39.1bn) funding boost to the NHS, reflecting a 3% annual rise on current levels over the next three years to reach £226bn ($304.3bn) by 2029.
