CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) announced today that it is awarding $1 million to biotechnology company Zeteo Tech to advance work on a noninvasive diagnostic test that can diagnose lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) from exhaled breath.
The funding will enable Maryland-based Zeteo Tech to execute a workplan for BreathBiomics, a noninvasive diagnostic platform that employs a matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) assay to analyze breath aerosol to distinguish between viral and bacterial infections, differentiate active infection from colonization, and assess antibiotic susceptibility.
CARB-X says the company will use the money to explore the use of breath samples from children as an alternative to bronchoalveolar lavage or sputum collection, the methods typically used to collect samples from children with suspected LRTIs. The hope is that a rapid, less invasive diagnostic test for LRTIs like pneumonia, which claims the lives of 700,000 children under 5 years annually, could expedite diagnosis, reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment, and guide more effective treatment for drug-resistant LRTIs.
Focus on novel diagnostics for LRTIs
The award is the latest from CARB-X’s March 2024 funding round, which is focused on four distinct product themes, including proof-of-concept for tests using novel sample types to diagnose LRTIs.
“Diagnosing lower respiratory tract infections rapidly and accurately remains a significant clinical challenge, particularly in critical care settings,” CARB-X research and development (R&D) chief Erin Duffy, PhD, said in a press release. “We look forward to seeing how Zeteo’s technology performs in early-stage development and what insights it may bring to inform improved patient outcomes.”
Since its inception in 2016, CARB-X has supported 118 early-stage R&D projects designed to prevent, treat, and diagnose antibiotic resistant infections. Twenty-two of those projects have advanced into or completed clinical trials.