SBIR-STTR Award

A COVID-19 Point of Care Serological Assay for Rapid Quantification of Antibody Titer
Award last edited on: 4/25/2023

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NIAID
Total Award Amount
$1,301,302
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
855
Principal Investigator
Alberto Gandini

Company Information

Accel Diagnostics LLC

5750 Baum Boulevard
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
   (412) 355-0338
   info@acceldx.com
   www.acceldx.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 18
County: Allegheny

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R44AI157776-01
Start Date: 2/3/2021    Completed: 10/31/2021
Phase I year
2021
Phase I Amount
$240,405
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing need of serological testing we propose the development and clinical validation of a novel serological blood test, RapidQCT™, to aid in the diagnosis and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the case for other viral infections, the immune system responds to the COVID-19 infection by developing antibodies (IgG and IgM, among others) against the virus (SARS-COV-2). Antibody titer tests have been a valuable tool to determined individual immunity to several infection diseases, from rubella, to measles. More importantly, as COVID-19 vaccines become available, and a large-scale vaccination strategy will take place, the RapidQCT will help stratify potentially hundred of millions of people and identify who is most likely to benefit, and sparing those who will not. Because the test can be self-administered by patients, it will also promote mobile health management of the pandemic, expanding the breadth of testing, and protecting health care workers from exposure. Current serological tests are binary test, which only provide a yes/no answer, and therefore unable to provide a full picture of the development the immunity across the population. On the other hand, the RapidQCT is an easy to use and rapid test and the first quantitative Point-of-Care (POC) anti-COVID-19 antibody titer test. The size of credit card, it requires only one drop of blood from finger prick to asses the presence and titer level of anti- COVID-19 antibodies. The test companion mobile app enables the tracking of the disease spreading, progression, as well as development of the immunity throughout the population. This project will be completed in two Phases: Phase I - Aim 1: Fabrication Streamline, Scale-Up, and Assay Calibration. In this Aim, we will translate from the current lean development phase to the manufacturing phase. Phase I - Aim 2: Assay Calibration: Here we will determined the assay titer curve calibration. Phase II - Aim 1: Longitudinal monitoring of COVID-19 specific antibody titers. The RapidQCT tests will use to follow longitudinally to three groups: Symptomatic Infected (SI), Asymptomatic Infected (AI), and Not Infected (NI) (control). The trend of the antibody titer for each group will be stratified by gender, age, pre-conditions, and severity of infection. Phase II - Aim 2: Longitudinal monitoring of antibody titers in pregnancy. Immunological changes occurring in COVID-19 positive pregnancy versus the non-pregnant population will be monitored. This project is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Accel Diagnostics and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX), and it is expected to deliver a clinically validated and novel tool to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health Relevance Statement Narrative Responding to the COVID-19 emergency, Accel Diagnostics is developing an inexpensive, easy to use, rapid, and quantitative anti-COVID-19 antibody test, RapidQCT™ - The first fully disposable quantitative blood test, the size of credit card, which require only one drop of blood from finger prick to quantify the COVID-19 antibody titer (concentration), and help monitoring the spreading of the disease and the individual and herd immunity.

Project Terms:
Age ; ages ; Antibodies ; Biological Assay ; Assay ; Bioassay ; Biologic Assays ; Blood ; Blood Reticuloendothelial System ; Calibration ; Chickenpox ; Chicken Pox ; Varicella ; Statistical Data Interpretation ; Statistical Data Analyses ; Statistical Data Analysis ; statistical analysis ; Diagnosis ; Disease ; Disorder ; Emergency Situation ; Emergencies ; Fetal Development ; Developing fetus ; Fingers ; Hand ; Health Personnel ; Health Care Providers ; Healthcare Providers ; Healthcare worker ; health care personnel ; health care worker ; health provider ; health workforce ; healthcare personnel ; medical personnel ; treatment provider ; Hearing ; Blood Tests ; Hematologic Tests ; Hematological Tests ; Hematology Testing ; Hepatitis B ; Hepatitis B Infection ; Viral Hepatitis B ; infection with HBV ; infection with hepatitis B virus ; serum hepatitis ; Immunoglobulin G ; 7S Gamma Globulin ; IgG ; Immunoglobulin M ; 19S Gamma Globulin ; IgM ; Immune system ; allergic/immunologic body system ; allergic/immunologic organ system ; Immunity ; Secondary Immunization ; Booster Immunization ; booster vaccination ; Immunocompetence ; Immunologic Competence ; Immunological Competence ; Infection ; Measles ; Rubeola ; morbilli ; Medicine ; Mothers ; Legal patent ; Patents ; Patients ; Physicians ; Play ; Pregnancy ; Gestation ; Reagent ; Rubella ; German Measles ; Self Administration ; Self-Administered ; Serology test ; serology assay ; Societies ; Specificity ; Technology ; Testing ; Texas ; Thinness ; Leanness ; Time ; Translating ; Universities ; Vaccination ; Viral Proteins ; Viral Gene Products ; Viral Gene Proteins ; virus protein ; Virus Diseases ; Viral Diseases ; viral infection ; virus infection ; virus-induced disease ; Virus ; Gender ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests ; Nucleic Acid Testing ; Lateral ; Clinical ; Phase ; Serology ; Ensure ; Individual ; Licensing ; Sample Size ; Disease Progression ; Funding ; Collaborations ; Companions ; tool ; Diagnostic ; Severities ; Protocol ; Protocols documentation ; Test Result ; antibody titering ; Antibody titer measurement ; acquired immunity ; expectation ; novel ; Devices ; Sampling ; response ; Drops ; Herd Immunity ; Preparedness ; Readiness ; Symptoms ; Health Sciences ; Reproducibility ; Clinical Data ; Enrollment ; enroll ; Funding Mechanisms ; Validation ; Immunologics ; Immunochemical Immunologic ; Immunologic ; Immunological ; Immunologically ; Monitor ; trend ; Molecular ; Process ; Development ; developmental ; point of care ; pandemic disease ; pandemic ; pre-clinical ; preclinical ; cost ; design ; designing ; vaccination strategy ; Outcome ; scale up ; Population ; prototype ; Secure ; Institutional Review Boards ; IRB ; IRBs ; mHealth ; m-Health ; mobile health ; mobile application ; mobile app ; mobile device application ; Time trend ; Temporal trend ; Trends over time ; health management ; health care management ; healthcare management ; microfluidic technology ; µfluidic technology ; COVID-19 ; COVID19 ; CV-19 ; CV19 ; corona virus disease 2019 ; coronavirus disease 2019 ; 2019-nCoV ; 2019 novel corona virus ; 2019 novel coronavirus ; COVID-19 virus ; COVID19 virus ; CoV-2 ; CoV2 ; SARS corona virus 2 ; SARS-CoV-2 ; SARS-CoV2 ; SARS-associated corona virus 2 ; SARS-associated coronavirus 2 ; SARS-coronavirus-2 ; SARS-related corona virus 2 ; SARS-related coronavirus 2 ; SARSCoV2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2 ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2 ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2 ; Wuhan coronavirus ; coronavirus disease 2019 virus ; hCoV19 ; nCoV2 ; COVID-19 vaccine ; 2019-nCoV vaccine ; COVID19 vaccine ; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine ; SARS-CoV2 vaccine ; SARS-coronavirus-2 vaccine ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 vaccine ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccine ; corona virus disease 2019 vaccine ; coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine ; vaccine against 2019-nCov ; vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 ; vaccine against SARS-CoV2 ; vaccine against SARS-coronavirus-2 ; vaccine against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 ; vaccine against Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; vaccine for novel coronavirus ; COVID-19 pandemic ; COVID crisis ; COVID epidemic ; COVID pandemic ; COVID-19 crisis ; COVID-19 epidemic ; COVID-19 global health crisis ; COVID-19 global pandemic ; COVID-19 health crisis ; COVID-19 public health crisis ; COVID19 crisis ; COVID19 epidemic ; COVID19 global health crisis ; COVID19 global pandemic ; COVID19 health crisis ; COVID19 pandemic ; COVID19 public health crisis ; SARS-CoV-2 epidemic ; SARS-CoV-2 global health crisis ; SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic ; SARS-CoV-2 pandemic ; SARS-CoV2 epidemic ; SARS-CoV2 pandemic ; SARS-coronavirus-2 epidemic ; SARS-coronavirus-2 pandemic ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 epidemic ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2 pandemic ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 epidemic ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic ; corona virus disease 2019 epidemic ; corona virus disease 2019 pandemic ; coronavirus disease 2019 crisis ; coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic ; coronavirus disease 2019 global health crisis ; coronavirus disease 2019 global pandemic ; coronavirus disease 2019 health crisis ; coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic ; coronavirus disease 2019 public health crisis ; coronavirus disease crisis ; coronavirus disease epidemic ; coronavirus disease pandemic ; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global health crisis ; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 global pandemic ; SARS-CoV-2 positive ; COVID-19 positive ; COVID-19 positivity ; COVID19 positive ; COVID19 positivity ; SARS-CoV-2 positivity ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positive ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 positivity ; coronavirus disease 2019 positive ; coronavirus disease 2019 positivity ; COVID-19 monitoring ; COVID19 monitoring ; SARS-CoV-2 monitoring ; coronavirus disease 2019 monitoring ; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 monitoring ; antibody test ; antibody based test ; SARS-CoV-2 antibody ; COVID-19 antibody ; SARS-CoV2 antibody ; antibody against COVID-19 ; antibody against SARS-CoV-2 ; antibody against SARS-CoV2 ; antibody against coronavirus disease 2019 ; antibody against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; antibody to COVID-19 ; antibody to SARS-CoV-2 ; antibody to SARS-CoV2 ; antibody to coronavirus disease 2019 ; antibody to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ; coronavirus disease 2019 antibody ; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 antibody ; rapid test ; rapid assay ; rapid tests ; SARS-CoV-2 infection ; COVID-19 infection ; COVID19 infection ; SARS-CoV2 infection ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection ; coronavirus disease 2019 infection ; infected with COVID-19 ; infected with COVID19 ; infected with SARS-CoV-2 ; infected with SARS-CoV2 ; infected with coronavirus disease 2019 ; infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ;

Phase II

Contract Number: 4R44AI157776-02
Start Date: 2/3/2021    Completed: 7/31/2023
Phase II year
2022
(last award dollars: 2023)
Phase II Amount
$1,060,897

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing need of serological testing we propose the development and clinical validation of a novel serological blood test, RapidQCT™, to aid in the diagnosis and management of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the case for other viral infections, the immune system responds to the COVID-19 infection by developing antibodies (IgG and IgM, among others) against the virus (SARS-COV-2). Antibody titer tests have been a valuable tool to determined individual immunity to several infection diseases, from rubella, to measles. More importantly, as COVID-19 vaccines become available, and a large-scale vaccination strategy will take place, the RapidQCT will help stratify potentially hundred of millions of people and identify who is most likely to benefit, and sparing those who will not. Because the test can be self-administered by patients, it will also promote mobile health management of the pandemic, expanding the breadth of testing, and protecting health care workers from exposure. Current serological tests are binary test, which only provide a yes/no answer, and therefore unable to provide a full picture of the development the immunity across the population. On the other hand, the RapidQCT is an easy to use and rapid test and the first quantitative Point-of-Care (POC) anti-COVID-19 antibody titer test. The size of credit card, it requires only one drop of blood from finger prick to asses the presence and titer level of anti- COVID-19 antibodies. The test companion mobile app enables the tracking of the disease spreading, progression, as well as development of the immunity throughout the population. This project will be completed in two Phases: Phase I - Aim 1: Fabrication Streamline, Scale-Up, and Assay Calibration. In this Aim, we will translate from the current lean development phase to the manufacturing phase. Phase I - Aim 2: Assay Calibration: Here we will determined the assay titer curve calibration. Phase II - Aim 1: Longitudinal monitoring of COVID-19 specific antibody titers. The RapidQCT tests will use to follow longitudinally to three groups: Symptomatic Infected (SI), Asymptomatic Infected (AI), and Not Infected (NI) (control). The trend of the antibody titer for each group will be stratified by gender, age, pre-conditions, and severity of infection. Phase II - Aim 2: Longitudinal monitoring of antibody titers in pregnancy. Immunological changes occurring in COVID-19 positive pregnancy versus the non-pregnant population will be monitored. This project is the result of an ongoing collaboration between Accel Diagnostics and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (Houston, TX), and it is expected to deliver a clinically validated and novel tool to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health Relevance Statement Narrative Responding to the COVID-19 emergency, Accel Diagnostics is developing an inexpensive, easy to use, rapid, and quantitative anti-COVID-19 antibody test, RapidQCT™ - The first fully disposable quantitative blood test, the size of credit card, which require only one drop of blood from finger prick to quantify the COVID-19 antibody titer (concentration), and help monitoring the spreading of the disease and the individual and herd immunity.

Project Terms:
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