The sensor technology will help the company to initially develop a rapid point-of-care Covid-19 test
The sensor technology will allow RNADD to develop and manufacture molecular disease diagnostic testing kits. (Credit: Wilfried Pohnke from Pixabay)
RNA Disease Diagnostics (RNADD) has received an exclusive global licence from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) for an advanced molecular RNA diagnostic platform technology.
Dipanjan Pan, along with his teams at UMB and UMBC, has developed the sensor technology. Pan is also a scientific advisor to RNADD.
The licenced technology will help RNADD in the development and manufacturing of molecular disease diagnostic testing kits. The tests will be developed for the rapid and precise detection of multiple infectious diseases to prevent their transmission and spread.
RNADD will initially use the technology for the development of a rapid point-of-care (POC) Covid-19 test, which aims to offer accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.
At present, the company’s POC plasmonic Covid-19 test is under development for commercialisation. The underlying technology is designed to precisely identify infectious diseases within 45 minutes.
RNADD co-founder and chairman Allan Oberman said: “Licensing this promising sensor technology from the universities enables us to advance a diagnostic test that may serve as a future gold standard in accurate and rapid Covid-19 testing.
“Our hope is that this work contributes to public health as countries begin to reopen following the massive vaccination efforts designed to help with prevention.”
RNADD intends to leverage its Antisense RNA diagnostic platform across multiple diseases, in addition to the development of affordable and minimally invasive disease diagnostic testing kits.
The company’s initial focus is to deploy Covid-19 Antisense diagnostic POC and home use test (HUT) rapid diagnostic testing kits.
In December 2020, US-based Bluejay Diagnostics partnered with Japan’s Toray Industries to develop point-of-care test for Covid-19 patients to detect progression of the disease.