Time matters when treating sepsis, a condition that according to a recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) kills 11 million people each year, many of them children, and it disables millions more. Sepsis occurs in response to an infection, and when it is not recognized early and managed promptly, it can lead to septic shock, multiple organ failure, and death. 

Traditional lab tests that diagnose the condition can take a few hours or even longer, that is why Loop Diagnostics is working on a new diagnostic test for sepsis that aims to be faster than other tools available in the market. Loop DX focuses on identifying immune activity biomarkers in patients’ bloodstream through biochemical testing. 

The current rapid tests for sepsis diagnose use damage-related biomarkers, which start being detectable/present in blood at least six hours after the bacteria-infected/moved into the blood flow. 

Loop DX, on the other hand, is focused on identifying immune activity biomarkers that start being detectable just one hour after the bacteria infects the blood. By using this new methodology and biomarkers, the window of detection begins five hours early. As sepsis is a time-critical condition, a fast, accurate diagnosis will allow antibiotic treatment to start earlier, improve patient outcomes and recovery times, save lives and reduce health costs. 

The Barcelona-based start-up is developing a new lateral flow platform for the diagnosis of sepsis at the point of care that relies on in vitro cellular immunoassay to monitor cells. This technique aims to provide healthcare workers with a better understanding of how to treat patients and to offer a faster diagnosis than pathogen identification, according to Enrique Hernández, CEO and cofounder of Loop DX with Eduard Guerrero. The company claims it can provide a relatively quick result with the SeptiLoop test they are developing. This test relies on a blood draw and no additional lab work is needed to produce a result.