Alveo Technologies enters agreement with CDC

The agreement seeks to leverage Alveo's point of need molecular testing platform for early detection of H5 and seasonal influenza viruses to support public health preparedness.

Alveo Technologies, Inc.—a leader in molecular sensing and diagnostics with its proprietary IntelliSense molecular detection technology—has announced it received an agreement issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on a competitive basis to develop a rapid, molecular, point of need diagnostic to detect and differentiate between Influenza A + B, and A/H5 in humans.  

Alveo said it is the first company to make molecular detection and diagnostics universally accessible: on the farm, in the field, in the clinic, or in the manufacturing plant, helping prevent or significantly limit the destructive impact of viruses, fungi, bacteria, and other pathogens by detecting earlier at the point of need. It’s portable, multiplex-capable diagnostic platform employs IntelliSense, its patented method of direct electrical sensing of nucleic acid amplification to provide affordable, rapid, and accurate results.

In June, the CDC issued an open call for innovative solutions to meet CDC’s diagnostic test development needs for avian influenza. The virus has been confirmed in birds, cattle, poultry, and people in the United States, heightening the urgency to support advanced preparedness in the event human-to-human transmission occurs.

According to CDC’s open call to industry that requested innovative solutions from diagnostic technology companies, “currently, the only public health laboratories in the U.S. equipped to test for this virus are CDC and state and jurisdictional public health laboratories with access to the CDC A(H5) assay. This poses a significant problem as these laboratories may not have the capacity to handle a large number of cases in the event of an H5 epidemic or pandemic. This could result in delays in diagnosing and treating individuals, leading to the further spread of the virus.”

Alveo has developed a portable, easy-to-use molecular detection platform that utilizes isothermal nucleic acid amplification technology (NAAT) and provides fast and qualitative results at the point of need. As a multiplexed platform, the device can detect and differentiate between influenza A, B, and A/H5, from a single sample. Additionally, the platform can automatically deliver accurate, real-time results via a secure cloud-based portal for analysis and reporting.

As a result, Alveo’s solution can facilitate early detection and intervention, enhance public health surveillance, and improve the overall response to seasonal influenza and potential avian influenza A/H5 outbreaks. By decentralizing testing capabilities, Alveo will increase access to critical diagnostics, reduce the burden on centralized laboratories, and bolster pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

The agreement issued by CDC to develop avian influenza tests is just part of Alveo’s broad strategy to develop diagnostics to manage global health, food security, and supply chain resiliency. Next month, Alveo will begin shipping a molecular test for all relevant subtypes of avian influenza (Type A, subtypes H5, H7, H9) in poultry. The CDC agreement and development goals support a natural expansion of Alveo’s product line given its synergies with assays already developed.

“It is gratifying to be selected and enter this agreement to accelerate the development of our point of need diagnostic solutions for H5,” said Shaun Holt, the Chief Executive Officer at Alveo. “We are proud to work with CDC to be a part of a national preparedness effort by enabling timely detection and response where it matters most, at the front lines of care.”

For more information on Alveo and its diagnostic platform, visit www.alveotechnologies.com.