Typhoid fever is a severe systemic illness caused by the Gram-negative Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi. Each year, there are between 11 and 21 million cases of typhoid fever, with the greatest burden among children and individuals living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in South Asia, and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The illness is responsible for approximately 128,000 to 161,000 deaths globally, and its symptoms include abdominal pain and fever. Typhoid fever is usually spread through the consumption of contaminated food or water.
Chembio will develop a direct from blood point-of-care test for IgA antibody detection based on its proprietary Dual Path Platform® technology for the detection of two biomarkers (LPS and HlyE) with high accuracy for detecting enteric fever. The IgA antibody detection is intended to better identify acute infection, rather than previous infection or vaccination, representing the potential for a notable improvement in diagnostic accuracy over existing rapid tests for typhoid fever.
The CARB-X award will also support Chembio’s work in differentiating between Salmonella species, characterizing test performance over a range of time points post-fever onset, and assessing performance on sample sets in Africa, where the disease burden is particularly high.
Fingerstick-based test
“A rapid, fingerstick-based test that delivers reliable results at the point of care could significantly improve how typhoid fever is diagnosed in low- and middle-income countries, where access to laboratory infrastructure is often limited,” said Richard Alm, Interim Chief of Research & Development at CARB-X. “If successful, Chembio’s diagnostic capability can support better clinical decision-making, strengthen surveillance and stewardship efforts, and contribute to more effective management of enteric fever in high-burden settings.”
“We are honored to receive funding from the CARB-X to develop our innovative rapid test to detect acute typhoid fever and ensure timely, appropriate treatment and minimize selective pressure for antimicrobial resistance,” said Javan Esfandiari, President of Chembio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Biosynex Group, a point-of-care diagnostics company with research, production and distribution subsidiaries in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Antibacterial pipeline
When CARB-X was founded in 2016, the early-stage antibacterial pipeline was stalled. Since its inception, CARB-X has supported 122 R&D projects in 15 countries, and CARB-X product developers have made significant progress: 24 projects have advanced into or completed clinical trials; 14 remain active in clinical development, including late-stage clinical trials; and 3 products have reached the market.
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Additionally, more than 10 product developers with active R&D projects have already secured advanced development partnerships to support their clinical development after leaving the CARB-X portfolio. All CARB-X-funded product developers are contractually obligated to develop a Stewardship and Access Plan for their product, outlining strategies to ensure responsible stewardship and appropriate access in low- and middle-income countries.
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