SpeeDx Pty. Ltd. announced further series A funding received by new
investor partners, Northpond Ventures, LP – a U.S.-based, formative
stage venture capital fund with a strong science and technology driven
portfolio. The funds received form part of a larger agreement that
includes the addition of Northpond Ventures founder and CEO, Michael P.
Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., on the SpeeDx Board of Directors.
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SpeeDx close series A fundraising with support from Northpond Ventures – a U.S.-based, formative stage venture capital fund with a strong science and technology driven portfolio.
“SpeeDx is uniquely positioned in the sexual health diagnostics space,
with technology and tests that can inform treatment decisions,” said Dr.
Rubin. “We are excited about the impact they are having now, in Europe
and Australian markets, and we look forward to what we can achieve
together with the current investors as we look to expand the offered
test menu and prepare for the U.S. launch.”
The flagship test from SpeeDx, ResistancePlus® MG –
detecting the sexually transmitted infection (STI) Mycoplasma
genitalium, also known as Mgen or MG, and genetic markers linked to
macrolide antibiotic resistance – is currently in clinical trials in
preparation for submission to the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
later this year. SpeeDx recently announced the same test will soon be
available in Europe on the Cepheid GeneXpert® System as part of their
FleXible Cartridge program.1ResistancePlus MG
is currently sold to central testing laboratories across Europe and
throughout Australia and New Zealand and is considered the standard of
care, in-line with guidelines worldwide,2-4 supporting
Resistance Guided Therapy for Mgen infected patients, where resistance
to front-line azithromycin treatment averages 40%.5,6
Additional tests in the SpeeDx portfolio include the recently CE-IVD and
TGA registered ResistancePlus® GC – for detection of
gonorrhoea infection and markers linked to susceptibility to
ciprofloxacin. Clinicians have enthusiastically welcomed the
availability of this test, keen to move beyond detection-only tests and
empiric treatment. British gonorrhoea guidelines are the first to move
to a Resistance Guided Therapy model, calling for preferential treatment
with ciprofloxacin if susceptibility status is known.7 Using ResistancePlus
GC for gonorrhoea diagnostics could support clinicians to treat up to 70%8-11
of infections with ciprofloxacin, protecting our last effective
antibiotic – ceftriaxone – from overuse and the rising threat of
antibiotic resistant strains.
“SpeeDx is growing rapidly and our tests are having a real impact on the
clinical management of STIs around the world,” said Colin Denver, SpeeDx
CEO. “With this additional support from Northpond, we can ensure
financial readiness for the work ahead; we’re very happy to have them on
board.”
About SpeeDx
Founded in 2009, SpeeDx is an Australian-based private company with
offices in London and the US, and distributors across Europe. SpeeDx
specializes in molecular diagnostic solutions that go beyond simple
detection to offer comprehensive information for improved patient
management. Innovative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)
technology has driven market-leading multiplex detection and priming
strategies. Product portfolios focus on multiplex diagnostics for
sexually transmitted infection (STI), antibiotic resistance markers, and
respiratory disease. For more information on SpeeDx please see: https://plexpcr.com
About Northpond Ventures
Michael P. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of Northpond
Ventures, a formative stage venture capital fund dedicated to science
and technology. Dr. Rubin’s active directorships include Mitra Biotech,
DiCE Molecules, Inflammatix, Teckro, Candel, and Sherlock Biosciences.
For more information on Northpond Ventures please see: https://www.northpondventures.com/
1. SpeeDx and Cepheid announce test partnership 2019 found at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190415005919/en/SpeeDx-Cepheid-Announce-Test-Partnership
2. Jensen JS, Cusini M, Gomberg M, Moi H. 2016. 2016 European
guideline on Mycoplasma genitalium infections.
Journal of European Academy Dermatology & Venereology. PMID:
27505296.
3. https://www.bashhguidelines.org/media/1146/ngu-update-05_2017-final.pdf
4. http://www.sti.guidelines.org.au/sexually-transmissible-infections/mycoplasma-genitalium
5. Read T R H, Fairley C K, Murray G L, et al. Outcomes of
resistance-guided sequential treatment of Mycoplasma genitalium
infections: a prospective evaluation, Clinical Infectious Diseases,
ciy477, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciy477
6. Getman D, Jiang A, O’Donnell M, Cohen S. Mycoplasma
genitalium prevalence, coinfection, and macrolide antibiotic
resistance frequency in a multicenter clinical study cohort in the
United States. Journal of Clinical Microbiology 2016; 54:2278-2283.
7. https://www.bashhguidelines.org/media/1208/gc-2019.pdf
8. Harris SR et al. Lancet Infect Dis Published online May 15th 2018.
9. Lahra MM et al. Australian Gonococcal Surveillance Programme annual
report, 2015.
10. Heffernan H et al. Antimicrobial resistance and molecular
epidemiology of gonococci in NZ, 2014-5.
11. Kirkcaldy RD et al. MMWR Surveillance Summaries July 15, 2016 /
65(7);1–19.
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