New Urinary Tract Infection Diagnostic Gains Funding

A company developing a desktop system for diagnosing urinary tract infections in as little as 30 minutes is the recipient of grant funding from a public-private consortium to combat drug-resistant microbial infections. MicrobeDx in Los Angeles is eligible to receive $3.5 million for its diagnostic technology from the Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator, or CARB-X, a coalition of government agencies, foundations, and academic institutions in the U.S. and U.K.

MicrobeDx is creating diagnostic tests that analyze RNA molecules in bodily fluids. The company’s first product tests for urinary tract infections, which occur most often in women, and in the bladder and urethra. If left untreated, these infections can spread to the kidneys or beyond with serious consequences. National Kidney Foundation says urinary tract infections are responsible for some 10 million doctor visits a year in the U.S., with at least 1 in 5 women likely to have an infection in her lifetime. Escherichia coli, or E. coli, bacteria are a leading cause of urinary tract infections, with many infections contracted in health care facilities, resulting from drug-resistant bacteria.

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