BEVERLY, Mass., June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LexaGene Holdings, Inc., (TSX-V: LXG; OTCQB: LXXGF) (the “Company”), a molecular diagnostics company that develops fully automated rapid pathogen detection systems, is pleased to announce it has partnered with Ethos Discovery to expand the test menu offerings that can be run on the MiQLab™ System.
LexaGene’s first validated panel, namely the MiQLab™ Bacterial and AMR Test, was developed specifically for aiding in the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI), one of the most common causes for veterinary visits in companion animals. This panel detects 94% of the pathogens that cause UTI in cats and dogs and screens for 13 different antimicrobial resistance targets that are useful in determining the therapies best suited for treatment.
Impressed by the coverage of tests included in LexaGene’s first validated panel, Ethos Discovery was an early adopter of the MiQLab technology, and is now interested in expanding the use cases for the MiQLab to help in the diagnosis of other disease conditions. To address their needs, Ethos Discovery presented to LexaGene market opportunity assessments for sepsis, effusions, chronic/complicated wounds, pneumonia, diarrhea, joint diseases, seizures, hemangiosarcoma, and tick-borne infections. After in depth discussions, as a first step, LexaGene has decided to partner with Ethos Discovery on prioritizing the development of panels specific for severe pneumonia, diarrhea, and effusions. These were chosen due to the clinical importance of correctly identifying the cause of respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses which can potentially be zoonotic, the sheer number of diarrhea cases in the US per year (~500K based on Ethos estimate), and the pressing need for rapid differential diagnosis, respectively. These projects will be tackled in the stated order.
Dr. Jack Regan, LexaGene’s Founder and CEO, states, “Expanding our test menu is one of our priorities that will drive sales. It is very important for LexaGene to continually invest in developing new tests so that the MiQLab can be used as a valued point of care instrument that can serve a diversity of unmet needs in veterinary medicine. I’m thrilled to work with Ethos Discovery on further expanding the utility of the MiQLab system. Collaborations like this will result in many more sales in the future, as the value proposition for adopting MiQLab increasingly becomes an obvious choice. Our goal is to make shipping samples for disease testing to a reference laboratory a business model of the past, as this type of testing should really be done inside the clinic where fast time to result has the biggest impact on the quality of care and patient outcomes.”
Dr. Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Onc), the President of Ethos Discovery, comments, “We are excited to be adding value to LexaGene’s MiQLab system. We strongly feel that in-clinic PCR-based disease testing is the future for veterinary medicine. These new disease-specific panels will greatly increase the utility of the MiQLab in the hospital and I would expect these additional offerings will encourage many veterinary practices to adopt the technology.”
As part of this collaboration, Ethos Discovery is providing consulting services for the identification of the relevant targets in each panel based on disease prevalence, the magnitude of the unmet need, and alignment with the MiQLab technology. These panels will include additional tests for species of bacteria not covered in the UTI panel, as well as new tests for viruses, protozoa, fungi and other disease targets. LexaGene will develop and validate these tests for each of the target organisms and antimicrobial markers, and use Ethos Veterinary Health’s Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital in the greater Denver area for clinical validation studies, which are anticipated to start for the pneumonia panel in late summer/early fall.
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On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Dr. Jack Regan
Chief Executive Officer & Chairman
For inquiries: 800.215.1824 | ir@lexagene.com or info@lexagene.com
About LexaGene Holdings Inc.
LexaGene is a molecular diagnostics company that develops molecular diagnostic systems for pathogen detection and genetic testing for other molecular markers for on-site rapid testing in veterinary diagnostics, food safety and for use in open-access markets such as clinical research, agricultural testing and biodefense. End-users simply need to collect a sample, load it onto the instrument with a sample preparation cartridge, enter sample ID and press ‘go’. The MiQLab™ system delivers excellent sensitivity, specificity, and breadth of detection and can return results in approximately two hours. The unique open-access feature is designed for custom testing so that end-users can load their own real-time PCR assays onto the instrument to target any genetic target of interest.
About Ethos Discovery
Ethos Discovery is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to delivering innovations that will improve the outcome for pets and humans afflicted with complex medical problems. Ethos Veterinary Health, LLC formed Ethos Discovery to conduct nonprofit scientific research to advance veterinary and human medical science in December 2016. For more information, visit https://www.ethosdiscovery.org
About Ethos Veterinary Health
Ethos is a veterinary health company with hospitals across the U.S. providing advanced medical care for pets. Our approach includes a focus on transformative science, continuous learning and growth for team members and collaboration. For more information, visit https://www.ethosvet.com
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