Accelr8, Denver Health Win $2M to Develop Battlefield Infections Diagnostic

Accelr8 and Denver Health received notification that the Defence Medical Research and Development Program (DMRPD) has recommended a $2 million award to support a three-year project focused on developing a rapid diagnostic system for wound infections and serious infections secondary to trauma. The project was the sole recipient of funds under the Military Infectious Diseases Applied Research Award (MID-ARA) initiative for the detection of serious antibiotic-resistant infections.

The program will hinge on the development of a diagnostic platform based on Accelr8’s BACcel™ system, for use by battlefield hospitals, post-rehabilitation facilities, and for the medical care of veterans and their dependents.

Acceler8’s BACcel system is a fully automated culture-free pathogen identification and analysis platform that provides quantitative pathogen diagnosis within two hours, and complete antibiotic resistance analysis within six hours. The system uses automated microscopy and computerized image analysis to examine each individual pathogen isolated from a patient sample as it grows and divides, both before and after the addition of antibiotic therapy. Collaborators under the MID-ARA grant will include researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, the Washington Hospital Center, and Creighton University School of Medicine.