Proteome to develop TB diagnostic

The Bill Gates-funded Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) has called on Sydney's Proteome Systems (ASX:PXL) to develop a new diagnostic test for tuberculosis, one of the deadliest diseases in developing countries.

The point-of-care test, based on Proteome Systems' biomarker discovery platform, can diagnose TB in minutes, said Proteome CEO Stephen Porges -- a significant advantage over currently available diagnostics used in developing countries.

Georgio Roscigno, the CEO of Geneva-based FIND, said two million people died of TB every year, mostly in India, Africa and China, and another nine million cases were diagnosed. TB is also the largest killer of women of child-bearing age in the world.

Roscigno said that while biotech-based diagnostics were increasingly benefiting western countries, most developing nations still relied on microscopy to diagnose TB -- a slow, sometimes inaccurate process. He said FIND was established by the Gates Foundation and a unit of the World Health Organisation to source and develop new diagnostic tests for underprivileged people in developing countries.

"Diagnosis is critical -- if you don't know who to treat, that's a big problem," said Roscigno, who formerly worked as a doctor in Africa.

He said the primary level of healthcare in developing nations involved diagnosis and screening, mostly done by nurses. FIND's approach was to develop tests that were simple to use, but which delivered precise, qualitative results.

Porges said the deal would allow Proteome Systems to speed the development of the test. FIND will help with clinical material, trials and registration of the test, in exchange for royalty-free rights to distribute the product in developing countries. In March, the company won a Commonwealth R&D Start grant for its TB diagnostic.

The test is based on a proteomics-based test for wheat that Proteome Systems developed some years ago, as a proof-of-concept of its technology. The company's head of discovery and diagnosis, Jenny Harry, said the test differed from others by directly detecting proteins expressed by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis microbe in infected people. It could also measure the severity of the infection, she said.

Roscigno said Proteome Systems' technology was sound. "They are a young company, and very willing to move ahead," he said. "What we want is to move the technology into the TB field and make sure it works, then introduce it to national programs and look at practicalities." After that, policy changes would need to be introduced in the countries where the test was to be used. The whole process would probably take two to three years, he said.

Proteome CEO Porges said the deal was a validation for proteomics, "a science Australians can honestly say we founded".

The Gates Foundation's Hannah Kettler said the deal was "a great demonstration" of the kind of model being pursued by the foundation.