The grant is from Carb-X, a Boston University-based public-private partnership aimed at furthering anti-bacterial R&D that’s jointly funded by the U.S. Health & Human Services Dept.’s Biomedical Advanced Research & Development Authority and the Wellcome Trust. The group has a $455 million war chest to deploy until 2021 to back the development of new antibiotics, therapeutics, vaccines, rapid diagnostics and devices to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections.
Lexington, Mass.-based T2 said it plans to develop new tests for its T2Dx instrument for 20 additional bacterial species and resistance targets, focusing on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s threat list of antibiotic-resistant blood-borne pathogens.
“The collaboration with Carb-X will accelerate the development of diagnostic tests to identify major bacterial species and resistance genes faster than ever,” president & CEO John McDonough said in prepared remarks. “Identifying these infections directly from whole blood with T2MR technology will help patients receive the right therapy faster – improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. We believe these diagnostic advances will also support the development of new antibiotics by accelerating clinical trials, attacking the problem of resistance on all fronts.”
“The ability to rapidly diagnose and treat drug-resistant bacteria will save lives by enabling doctors to treat patients more quickly and effectively than is possible with today’s diagnostic tools,” added Carb-X executive director Kevin Outterson. “Our collaboration with T2 Biosystems enhances the diversity of our pipeline with exciting technology. These products are not ready for use in patients yet, but if approved, they offer great potential to fight against life-threatening, drug-resistant bacteria.”