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Japan's Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund has announced an investment of JPY 140 million (approximately $862,000) in a project to develop a portable rapid diagnostic system for Ebola disease.
The system is being jointly developed by Osaka Metropolitan University, K.K. DNAFORM (DNAFORM), and the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The project aims to advance rapid diagnostic technologies in response to Ebola outbreaks caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
This investment covers approved early development milestones, including prototype development and performance validation for Bundibugyo virus detection, and supports preparations for future clinical evaluation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This project leverages GenPad, a portable isothermal nucleic acid amplification platform developed by DNAFORM. This platform does not require large instruments and is designed for use in outbreak settings where access to stable power and laboratory infrastructure is limited. The project will use this portable platform to develop and evaluate a POC testing system for Ebola disease.
By combining Osaka Metropolitan University's global research network, DNAFORM's GenPad technology, and INRB's infrastructure for responding to emerging infectious diseases, the collaboration is expected to support the response to the current Bundibugyo virus outbreak and strengthen preparedness for future Ebola disease outbreaks.
