Melio, Santa Clara, California, USA
www.melio.tech/

Melio is developing a culture-free platform designed to identify blood stream infections including neonatal sepsis. Integrating cutting-edge molecular and microfluidic technologies, Melio’s diagnostic aims to enable accurate detection and identification of clinically relevant pathogens and actionable resistance markers, directly from blood within just 3 hours, whereas the current standard of care requires culture and takes multiple days. If successful, the diagnostic’s ability to test small blood volumes with high negative predictive value would fill a crucial gap in neonatal sepsis care by empowering healthcare providers to make early, targeted antimicrobial decisions—potentially saving lives, reducing unnecessary antibiotic exposure, and preventing adverse events or hospitalization at a critical early stage in life.

Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening response to bloodstream infections that occur in newborns fewer than 28 days old. Due to their immature immune systems, newborns are particularly susceptible to infections. The BARNARDS study estimated that 2.5 million neonates or infants in the first month of life die annually of sepsis, with the greatest burden in low- and middle-income countries. Since neonatal sepsis progresses rapidly, it requires immediate treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics. The risk of death from neonatal sepsis increases 7.6% every hour a treatment is delayed.

Current Development Stage: Feasibility

CARB-X Investment: US$3.5M

Initial CARB-X Investment Date: January 14, 2025