Domus Diagnostics, a U.S.-based point-of-care diagnostics company, has received an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to further develop its point-of-care nucleic acid amplification and detection test for simultaneous identification of COVID-19, Flu-A, Flu-B, and RSV. The award, up to $2.4M through the NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Tech program, will support accelerated validation and scaling of Domus Diagnostics’ at-home molecular test for clinical trial readiness.
The Domus Diagnostics’ at-home molecular test is an ultra-low cost, zero-power testing platform that will produce novel devices that enable user-friendly, accurate, and effective infectious disease testing at home, in doctors’ offices, or in community testing facilities. The devices will provide a significantly more affordable and accessible global option for infectious disease testing.
“Our mission has always been to develop a lower-cost, accessible and highly accurate testing solution to dramatically expand use and improve outcomes around the world,” says Paul Chapman, president and CEO of Domus Diagnostics. “The NIH award will enable us to take a major next step toward validating our platform and moving into clinical trials.”
Domus Diagnostics is developing a high-performance nucleic acid amplification and detection test that can be manufactured anywhere and sold at a price lower than antigen tests currently sold in the U.S. Unlike an antigen test, however, the Domus test uses advanced nucleic acid amplification chemistry, so it’s not only as easy to use, it also offers higher sensitivity and a more accurate result.
With the Domus at-home molecular test, a clinician or patient simply swabs each nostril, inserts a collection chamber into a card, and after approximately 30 minutes they can view the result. The Domus technology doesn’t require any instrumentation, electricity, or even batteries to run – making it a zero-power testing solution.
“While our tests have been developed based on proven, decades-old science, Domus Diagnostics’ approach is unique in our innovations in both chemistry and device manufacturing,” says Xin Song, PhD, scientific co-founder and designated chief scientific officer of Domus Diagnostics. “The innovative components of the Domus molecular test, including our one-pot stabilized reaction beads and the breakthrough invention of a temperature-regulated chemical heater, enable a much simpler user experience and better performance with multiplexing capability on a truly low-cost platform.”
Development of the Domus Diagnostic technology has been funded in part with federal funds from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N92023D00001.