Braveheart Investment Group PLC (AIM:BRH) subsidiary Paraytec has announced the successful test of its CX300 instrument in the detection of adeno-associated viruses.
Updating on Tuesday, Paraytec pointed to the importance of the test given virus-like particles, like adeno-associated viruses, are used to encapsulate new genes to deliver into the body.
Ultimately, Paraytec aims to market the CX300 to gene therapy manufacturers to assess the quality of their adeno-associated virus products, which carry modified DNA for gene therapy.
“The aim is to use the CX300 to measure attributes of virus-like particles that are critical to [...] efficacy and safety,” Paraytec said.
“These can be very harmful to patients if outside specification.”
The instrument has now been delivered to the Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre in Sheffield for further industrial testing, Paraytec continued.
Current methods are not well suited for testing virus-like particles during production, according to Paraytec, “hence, there is currently little opportunity for [...] feedback”.
Paraytec, which is 100% owned by Braveheart, added that testing of the CX300 was proceeding on schedule, with a proof of concept for the rapid diagnosis of bacteraemia causing sepsis in a blood sample being targeted by the year end.
If bacteria are present, the CX300 is expected to report whether these bacteria are classed as Gram-positive or Gram-negative.