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The iQ Group Global Partners with Harvard University for Real-Time, Printable COVID-19 Diagnostic Test

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SYDNEY – May 29, 2020

Life Science Biosensor Diagnostics Pty Ltd (LSBD), a development company of The iQ Group Global, entered into a development collaboration agreement with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University this week to develop the test from the Australian-invented Biosensor Platform; a printable organic thin-film transistor ‘strip’ being developed by LSBD to put the power of accurate and timely diagnosis in the hands of patients and their primary health practitioners at point of care.

The high-profile collaboration involves a pilot study to integrate the Biosensor Platform with a special coating developed at the Wyss Institute that can detect IgM and/or IgG antibodies, which indicate a person’s current or previous exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and, thus, a potential infection with COVID-19.

The future of point of care diagnostics, the Biosensor Platform is being developed by LSBD to test for more than 130 indications, including tumour markers, allergens, hormones and communicable diseases. The primary diagnostic device being developed from the Biosensor Platform is the Saliva Glucose Biosensor, the first non-invasive replacement for finger-prick blood glucose testing for diabetes management.

If the pilot study is successful, further development in partnership with the Wyss Institute could mean the creation of a chewing-gum-sized diagnostic ‘strip’ that can be used for COVID-19 testing at point of care, with the ability to be printed at scale at a low cost, and produce real-time results.

“At The iQ Group Global, our mission is to create the medicines of tomorrow. Never before has our mission been more relevant, nor more urgent,” Dr George Syrmalis, Group CEO and Chairman of The iQ Group Global said.

“Dependent on the outcomes of this research, we may be in a position to provide the global healthcare system with a point-of-care test capable of detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, with the ability to provide results in minutes. If the pilot study data is positive, this test has the potential to be used as a point-of-care screening and diagnostic tool, and pre-vaccination screening tests for when a COVID-19 vaccine is made available,” Dr Syrmalis said.

“Our partnership with the world-renowned Wyss Institute at Harvard University is a landmark collaboration for Australian biotechnology, and an exciting development for LSBD and its licensee companies, GBS Inc. and BioSensX (North America) Inc.

“We know that accurate, real-time diagnostic tools are a future of global healthcare that we urgently need to accelerate into our current reality as COVID-19 takes its toll on people all over the world. This project could not have come at more crucial time,” he said.

Media contact:

James Gorman | media@theiqgroupglobal.com

About the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering

The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering is a cross-disciplinary research institute at Harvard University which focuses on developing new bioinspired materials and devices for applications in healthcare, manufacturing, robotics, energy, and sustainable architecture. Website: wyss.harvard.edu

About The iQ Group Global

The iQ Group Global is a group of companies that find, fund and develop bioscience discoveries to create life-changing medical innovations. Recognised by The Australian Financial Review in the top five Most Innovative Healthcare Companies in 2019, The iQ Group Global’s flagship innovation is the Saliva Glucose Biosensor; the first non-invasive replacement for finger-prick blood glucose testing for diabetes management. Visit our website: theiqgroupglobal.com

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