Handheld molecular diagnostics device pioneer QuantuMDx Group recently announced it had closed an $8.42 million funding round it syndicated with philanthropist private investors and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne following the recent publicity success of its Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.

The funds will be used to further optimize and trial Q-POC, QuantuMDx’s handheld DNA sequencing and genotyping device, in addition to extending the company’s assay pipeline, expanding its research teams, and appointing an advisory board.

Warburton

Elaine Warburton, OBE

Elaine Warburton, OBE, cofounder and CEO says “2014 will be an immensely exciting year for QuantuMDx as we demonstrate, in real-time, our ability to undertake 15 minute sample-to-result analysis for complex molecular diagnostics. Later this year when we formally unveil our prototype, we anticipate much interest from life science and pharma companies seeking a low-cost, high-quality POC platform for diagnostics and to support drug development. Furthermore, we’re now looking to appoint a number of high-quality, commercially minded but fun people onto our research team, and also a number of key opinion leaders onto our advisory board.”

O'Halloran

Jonathan O’Halloran, PhD

“Most of the basic research was completed last year and we moved into an engineering phase to integrate these technologies and chemistries at the beginning of this year. We are now moving into the testing phase of our alpha prototype,” says Jonathan O’Halloran, inventor, cofounder, and CSO of QuantumDx. “Excitingly, we envision these devices to be readily distributed globally due to their low cost, fast turnaround times, and referral standard testing. With networked devices all over the world we will have a platform to monitor emerging pathogens and drug-resistance hotspots in real time—a concept we like to call the Internet of life.”

Field trials will commence in early 2015 for Q-POC’s first assays in malaria speciation/drug resistance, in partnership with NGOs and hospitals in several African countries, and a companion diagnostic for warfarin within the UK’s National Health Service, in anticipation of a commercial launch later in 2015.

For more information visit QuantuMDx.