With almost 20 years of experience, Coris BioConcept knows the world of infectious disease diagnostics inside and out. Their straightforward chromatography-based assays for pathogen detection, which are used in more than 80 countries, provide results within 10 to 15 minutes. Since 2015, however, Coris has upped its game. The company is tackling the problem of antibiotic resistance by developing two diagnostic tools: the RESIST assays, similar to the pathogen detection assays but focused on resistance mark- ers, and the diagnostic platform TRAPISTv6, a fully automated system for multiplex detection of pathogens and resistance markers. These innovative tools aid researchers and clinicians in the rapid assessment of various infectious diseases and their suscepti- bility to antibiotics.
Ever since antibiotics entered the therapeutic scene, they have been widely used to counter bacterial pathogens. Their overwhelming success, however, turned out to be a double-edged sword: while many lives were saved and diseases cured with antibiotics, their subsequent overuse led to a rapid spread of resistance. Today, antibi- otic resistance has become arguably the most pressing problem of modern healthcare, with multidrug resistant bacteria (or “superbugs”) becoming more and more prevalent.
The identi cation of the pathogens involved in infectious disease accounts for the largest part of the diagnostics market. Molecular techniques are gradually replacing the laborious and time- consuming bacterial culturing methods, and the advantages of these molecular diagnostic tools are already leaving their mark. Rapid pathogen identi cation not only improves patient care, but is also crucial in avoiding broad-spectrum or inappropriate antibiotics use.
Coris BioConcept: pathogen detective since 1996
Diagnostics for infectious disease is Coris BioConcept’s main business, and the company has a considerable history in the market. Since 1996, Coris has developed and produced immunochromatography strips and cassettes for the detection of more than 25 di erent viruses and bacteria, ranging from enteric to respiratory to gastric pathogens. With these simple and easy-to-use assays, the presence of a speci c pathogen can be tested in 10 to 15 minutes. Currently, the Coris BioConcept tests are distributed in more than 80 coun- tries worldwide.
Although Coris has been up and running for almost 20 years now, the company still strives to innovate. With its gravity-driven test (GDT ) or V-TesT for liquid samples, Coris has completely removed the need for a dilution bu er. The V-TesT is particularly suited for testing urine for infections. While their GDTs are based on pathogen-speci c antigen recognition, their proprietary oligochromatography (OC) technology allows for the fast detection of ampli ed DNA/RNA fragments. These genotypic assays are implemented in Coris’ OligoC-TesT and its new proprietary diagnostics platform TRAPISTv6.
Thwarting the resistance
When considering innovative and useful diagnostics in the eld of infectious disease, antibiotic resistance soon springs to mind. The problem has also caught the attention of Coris BioConcept, and since 2015 the company has been zealously developing not one but two solutions for the detection of antibiotic resistance markers. The RESIST range of products comprises a series of assays that detect various carbapenemase variants. The carbapenemase enzyme confers resistance to carbapenem- type antibiotics, which are considered a last-resort drug for many resilient infections. On a total of ve planned RESIST tests, two are already commercially available and CE-marked: the KPC and OXA-48 carbapenemase assays. A third test aimed at the detection of the NDM-type carbapenemase is now entering clinical validation trials worldwide.
Coris’ second solution might be its greatest accomplishment yet. With TRAPISTv6, The Rapid Advanced PCR & Immunoassay SysTem, the company proudly presents its fully automated diagnostic platform. Thanks to the combined e ort of biologists and engineers, Coris was able to develop a multiplex diagnostic platform based on micro uidic technology. TRAPISTv6 o ers rapid genetic assays that detect pathogen presence and antibiotic resistance markers simultaneously. TRAPISTv6 is scheduled for release by the end of 2016.
With this platform comes consumable “lab-on-a-chip” tests. Coris has designed two panels, one for Gram-negative bacteria and a second for Gram-positive bacteria, each of which can detect up to 10 di erent bacterial pathogens and up to 11 common antibiotic resistance markers in a single assay. With only two pipetting steps, the micro uidic chips, in conjunction with TRAPISTv6, allow for the rapid screening of samples with improved diagnostic e ciency.
With RESIST and TRAPISTv6, Coris BioConcept o ers two ranges of products to aid researchers and clinicians with the rapid and parallel detection of common pathogens and their antibi- otic resistances. These products will prove to be valuable tools in a business where time and multiplex testing are becoming increasingly important.
