XCyton Gets $4.5 mn From Fidelity to Launch Novel Diagnostic Platform ‘SES’ for Critical Infections

XCyton Diagnostics has received a fund infusion of US$ 4.5 million from Fidelity Capital Advisors to develop a molecular diagnostic platform for critical infections ‘Syndrome Evaluation System’ (SES) which is a single test for the simultaneous detection of all the probable causative agents which cause a group of symptoms in patients.

The diagnostic tool will now transform the critical care therapeutic decision support. It will help the doctors make an informed diagnosis within 7 hours with just one test. SES can accurately and immediately identify multiple organisms inclusive of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites via specific test from a single sample. The process provides clinical with a quick, definitive assessment of a patient who is presenting a set of symptoms common to multiple pathogens.

“We have revolutionized Critical Care management through a paradigm shift: from disease-based sequential diagnosis of one aetiological agent after the other to a syndrome-based assessment which detects simultaneously multiple pathogens in a single test in a single clinical specimen. This is developed with a sole purpose of empowering physicians to make evidence based critical care therapeutic decisions. The clinical assessment of SES over the last 2 years has proved that it has been able to save 80- 90 per cent of the cases. The physicians have also been able to administer the specific antibiotics to control the condition,” stated Dr BV Ravi Kumar, founder chairman and managing director, XCyton Diagnostics.

The test replaces the conventional microbiological cultures and is a quantum jump in terms of specificity. The technologies currently available are inadequate and delayed diagnosis leading to critical illnesses. This is resulting in loss of function of the infections resulting in permanent blindness or brain infections causing paralysis or septicemia reporting around 3 million fatal cases, he added.

According to Kiran Mazumdar- Shaw, head, Vision Group on Biotechnology, government of Karnataka and CMD Biocon, said that SES is a differential platform that will provide novel ways to rapidly diagnose critical care infections and provide superior outcomes. It is an approach to personalized medicine and is a significant milestone in molecular diagnostics.

The technology has four patents including eye infection related blindness, and septicemia. The product is cost-effective as it reduces the overall expenses of multiple tests, reduces ICU stay. “Right now we are offering it as a service for a fee which varies between Rs.6,000 to 20,000.

Experts have also stated that currently there is no such diagnostic tool made available globally although international companies have been working on the same. This makes XCyton the first in the world to come out with a comprehensive diagnostic technology.

In the last decade, the company had developed immunodiagnostic kits for the detection of Infection. It is credited with the development of the first indigenous ELISA kit for the detection of HIV infection called HIV CheX, following with the development of indigenous ELISA products for the detection of Hepatitis C (HEP CheX C), Neurocysticercosis (CYSTI CheX) and Japanese encephalitis (JEV CheX).