LONDON: Avacta Group plc has entered into a collaboration agreement with Bruker Corporation to evaluate the Affimer-based, bead assisted mass spectrometry (BAMSTM) SARS-CoV-2 assay, that the Group has developed with Adeptrix Inc..

Bruker is one of the world’s leading analytical instrumentation companies providing high-performance scientific instruments and high-value analytical and diagnostic solutions to scientists globally. It is also one of the foremost suppliers of mass spectrometers with a significant installed based in clinical microbiology laboratories in hospitals world-wide.

Avacta has worked with Adeptrix Inc (Beverly, MA, USA) to develop a coronavirus antigen test that combines enrichment of the sample using Affimer reagents with the analytical power of mass-spectrometry.

Up to 1,000 samples per day can be analysed by a single technician using a BAMS assay, exceeding the capacity of the commonly used PCR machines, making BAMS a potentially very attractive high throughput technique for COVID-19 screening in the clinical setting.

Having successfully developed a prototype test with Adeptrix, Avacta, has been working with its clinical partners in the UK to refine the assay to fit into the typical workflows in a clinical microbiology laboratory.

The collaboration with Bruker announced today will assess the suitability of the test as a professional-use in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) product for SARS-CoV-2 infection to run on Bruker’s MALDI-TOF instruments for sale in the UK and Europe.

Dr Alastair Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Avacta Group, commented: “I am delighted to have established this collaboration agreement with Bruker to further develop the potential for the BAMS COVID-19 test as a clinical IVD. We will be working closely with Bruker on the clinical assessment of the BAMS assay on Bruker’s MALDI-TOF instruments.

Our objective is to work with Bruker and our clinical partners to deliver an effective and high throughput assay protocol, that can be applied in the clinical setting, with the required sensitivity and specificity and CE/FDA approvals to provide a useful additional diagnostic tool in the fight against the coronavirus.

I look forward to updating the market when we have definitive clinical performance data.”

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