RPS Diagnostics

RPS is a diagnostic company concentrating on inflammatory and infectious disease diagnoses; its flagship product, the InflammaDry, has been designed for in-office diagnosis of inflammatory conditions present in a patient’s eye.

The company has devised two platforms: one, an amino-based platform using antibodies to detect disorders. The second, novel platform is a molecular test that provides a diagnosis in a very short turnaround (1–2 minutes), is self-contained, and is disposable. The company is committed to a future in diagnostics.

“In order to provide a cost-effective way to manage patients and link therapies to conditions, you have to know what you’re actually treating,” President and CEO Robert Sambursky, MD, said. Both of the company’s products are currently available in ophthalmology.

AdenoPlus targets Adenoviral conjunctivitis, the most common cause of “pink eye.”

InflammaDry identifies elevations in matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), a proteolytic enzyme known to be associated with inflammation. MMP-9 is considered a biomarker for ocular surface disease and a “vital sign of the surface’s health,” Dr. Sambursky said. MMP-9 elevates early, is toxic to the corneal surface, and can separate tight junctions on the surface which, in turn, create pain and fluctuating vision. RPS believes InflammaDry can be a useful adjunct before cataract or refractive surgery by identifying those who need surface management before they undergo any ocular surgery. Similarly, the company believes the test should be administered to glaucoma patients as well to monitor their surface health and (possibly) prevent surface issues associated with chronic topical eyedrop formulas.

FebriDx, which differentiates viral from bacterial acute respiratory infections via a finger prick test, has received the CE mark and is awaiting regulatory approval in Canada. The test entered US pivotal trials in mid-November. The current US administration is concentrating on antibiotic resistance as a critical platform in the future, and the appropriate use of ophthalmic and systemic antibiotics. RPS believes FebriDx will be integral to the process. The company boasts no marketplace competition for its tests.

All of the firm’s current tests are designed to be simple, with a single sample taken from the patient, applied to a test strip, and then added to a buffer solution, and with a wait time from 2 to 10 minutes for a diagnosis.

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