As the submission deadline approaches for the second NTD Innovation Prize, we’re reminded of the goals inspiring our pursuit of innovation in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Innovation is built on understanding the existing barriers to improving the well-being of people affected. These barriers and gaps can be complex or surprisingly simple, as are the innovative solutions that overcome them. We’re excited by the many ways we see innovative solutions coming to the fore in this field.
American Leprosy Missions’ new partnership venture with Biomeme, Inc. represents one of these solutions with exciting potential. It addresses a critical gap in fighting NTDs: limited access to accurate, timely diagnosis. Many people suffering from NTDs live in remote areas, while the technology to confirm a diagnosis is confined to a few highly-specialized labs. This literal gap between people affected and medical technology results in delay and misdiagnosis, which can mean a lifetime of complications and disabilities and push families deeper into poverty. These are significant costs for the person and the health system.
Our team of scientists, practitioners and partners have been determined to bridge this critical diagnostics gap. Dr. Sundeep Chaitanya, ALM’s director of research and innovation, discovered an opportunity with Biomeme’s mobile, real-time PCR technology. These are handheld diagnostic machines, usable by those without lab expertise, that can deliver real-time results saved to the cloud. The PCR machine’s portability and ease of use is revolutionary for diagnosing people far from a fully-equipped lab, as Dr. Chaitanya explains:
“The molecular diagnostic capacity of PCR machines is a gold-standard in diagnostics, but they are generally ‘lab-locked’ by clean-room and cold-chain requirements. What if we could deploy such diagnostic capacity right in the field, at the point-of-need? It would be a game-changer for the NTDs which lack such diagnostic support.”
Biomeme’s “lab in a Box”
Diagnostics in the field
Our early experiments indicate this solution can be cost-effective and scalable precisely in the remote, low-resource contexts where we work. Using our lean experimentation approach we are expanding pilot testing to ensure that it’s sustainable at scale. To find out more about this innovation and be part of helping us bridge this critical gap in diagnostics, reach out to us at: info@ntdinnovation.org.
Understanding existing barriers or gaps is key to beating NTDs through innovation. While this breakthrough with the PCR machines may have an enormous impact, it’s the result of small, incremental technology innovations that each address a barrier. For example, new freeze-dried reagents in the PCR process can be used without a lab-bound, cold-chain environment. They and other pieces of this process are incremental innovations, each contributing to bridge a larger gap--access to prompt, accurate diagnosis. The ability to envision incremental changes with great potential is the gift of the innovator!
For innovators working on your own solutions to beat NTDs, there’s still time to submit an abstract to this year’s NTD Innovation Prize: we’ve extended the deadline to May 15, 2020. We look forward to hearing your ideas about innovative change to improve the lives of people affected by NTDs.
Darren Schaupp
VP of Innovation and Ventures
American Leprosy Missions