Visby Medical, San Jose, CA, USA
https://visbymedical.com/

Visby Medical is developing a portable rapid diagnostic that – within one hour – could detect the presence of the pathogen that causes gonorrhea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and its susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, a former frontline oral antibiotic that can no longer treat resistant NG.

A rapid read on when ciprofloxacin may be effective could enable physicians to treat gonorrhea patients with confidence, while reserving ceftriaxone, the only antibiotic that remains effective against resistant NG.

Gonorrhea is the second most reported bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). Approximately 82 million people were infected globally in 2020.

Visby Medical plans to expand the capabilities of its commercially available Sexual Health Test, which is a portable, PCR platform that detects gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonas within 30 minutes. The company will add the capability to confer whether patients’ NG samples are also resistant to ciprofloxacin by detecting a genetic mutation.

Visby Medical’s Sexual Health Test, currently designed to accept vaginal samples, will also be expanded to accept urine, making this convenient, rapid test available to men.

Current Development Stage: Technical Feasibility

CARB-X Investment: US$1.8 million

Initial CARB-X Investment Date: October 1, 2023