genedrive awarded test kit grant

DEVOTE grant will allow acute care patient access and a supporting infrastructure for the company

Manchester NHS Industry partnership programme for rapid genomic test implementation

genedrive – a company focused on molecular diagnostics – has announced its participation in the Development and Validation of Technology for Time Critical Genomic Testing (DEVOTE).

Devote is a multi-partner grant award from the UK government Innovation Accelerator programme and Innovate UK. Further funding is anticipated to be made available for the implementation of the Genedrive CYP2C19 ID kit pharmacogenetic test. The kit is being developed to provide guidance at the point of care.

The DEVOTE grant will allow acute care patient access and a supporting infrastructure for genedrive to assess the real-world clinical performance of time-critical clinical tests in across NHS settings.

The programme is directed by the University of Manchester (UoM) and builds on the model of the previously successful partnership with genedrive, which supported the development and evaluation of the company’s MT-RNR1 ID kit. Indeed, it has recently received a pivotal recommendation from NICE.

DEVOTE combines clinicians, health economists, informaticians and researchers in order to rapidly access new technologies. The Genedrive CYP2C19 ID kit is one of three projects to be included in the programme, while funding is expected to go directly to the UoM and its NHS partners to set up and coordinate the three projects.

David Budd, chief executive officer at genedrive, explained: “DEVOTE is an amazing opportunity to engage formally with a health system like the NHS to demonstrate the effectiveness of a new diagnostic approach.”

He added: “Access to the Acute Medicine Unit in real time has considerable value to genedrive as further funding would allow us to progress ongoing product development quickly and efficiently, and would support the pathway to clinical validation of our Genedrive CYP2C19 ID kit. This level of clinical input and evaluation is increasingly required by regulatory authorities prior to marketing product especially in the EU.”

Professor William Newman reflected on the partnership: “We look forward to working with genedrive and our other DEVOTE programme colleagues in Manchester to develop a framework for time-critical pharmacogenetics, and to provide the framework for assessment of implementation of the Genedrive CYP2C19 ID Kit in emergency care.”

He concluded: “DEVOTE will further establish the Manchester environ as a world recognised centre for the development and implementation of pharmacogenomic testing.”

The amount of funding to be made available under the programme will be determined in due course.