Image created by Dr. Michael J. Miller
Scanogen Inc. announced it has been awarded a $2.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The award will support efforts to scale and prepare the company’s breakthrough diagnostic platform for regulatory clearance.
Yeast bloodstream infections affect more than 30,000 patients each year in the U.S. and carry mortality rates exceeding 40%. Early antifungal treatment is essential to survival, yet the current diagnostic gold standard—blood culture—takes one to five days, delaying life-saving care.
To address this challenge, Scanogen has developed an automated diagnostic platform powered by its proprietary Single Molecule and Rapid Tethering (SMART) technology. The system delivers results in 2 hours directly from whole blood without the need for blood culture. In recent testing, the assay showed 96% sensitivity and 99% specificity, as well as detection of the urgent public health threat Candida auris.
The platform features a simple workflow: a patient blood sample is placed into a disposable cartridge, which is analyzed by a compact desktop instrument to deliver results quickly and accurately.
With this NIH CRP grant, Scanogen will focus on scaling reagent and cartridge production under FDA-compliant processes, strengthening instrument software with cybersecurity and LIS integration, and transferring the system design into production. These advances will position the company to launch pivotal clinical studies for FDA clearance.
“This funding is a major step toward bringing our rapid test to hospitals,” said Dr. Al Celedon, Found and CEO of Scanogen. “Faster diagnosis means earlier treatment—and more lives saved.”
About Scanogen
Scanogen Inc. is a biotechnology company developing next-generation molecular diagnostic platforms using its proprietary SMART technology. By enabling rapid, direct-from-sample detection of pathogens, Scanogen is advancing the standard of care for infectious diseases and improving patient outcomes.