Pearl, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
https://pearldx.com/

Pearl Diagnostics is developing a low-cost, low turnaround time urine assay for the detection of pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pearl Diagnostics’ proprietary technology leverages their discovery that microbial extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released from organisms growing in the lungs and can be detected in the urine. This technology has already been successfully applied to detect lower respiratory infections caused by Aspergillus. The initial aim of the CARB-X-supported project is to evaluate the potential of Pearl Diagnostics’ technology for developing an assay to identify Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections.

Pneumonia, a lower-respiratory-tract infection (LRTI), is one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide, particularly among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children, and those with compromised immune systems. Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in children under five and in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs), claiming the lives of over 700,000 children worldwide each year. In adults, LRTIs account for 2.5 million deaths annually, millions of hospitalizations, and significant healthcare costs.

Contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance, broad-spectrum antibiotics are often prescribed to treat pneumonia without a clear diagnosis. The lack of rapid, accurate diagnostics exacerbates this issue, making it difficult to tailor treatments effectively and leading to overuse of antibiotics.

P. aeruginosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that predominantly affects immunocompromised individuals, frequently causing hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections. It is one of the six leading pathogens contributing to the burden of AMR and the top listed pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. P. aeruginosa has developed significant resistance to antibiotics making infections increasingly difficult to eradicate.

Current Development Stage: Feasibility

CARB-X Investment: US$1M

Initial CARB-X Investment Date: February 11, 2025