PATH and Quansys Biosciences, Inc., have agreed to reduce the cost of the Q-Plex™ Human Micronutrient Array (7-Plex), an innovative nutrition tool launched in January 2017 to improve women's and children's health around the world.
With the assistance of PATH, Quansys has lowered the price of the micronutrient array to $1.43 per analyte, making it even more affordable and accessible to the countries that need it most. This new price was the result of a yearlong collaboration between the two organizations. PATH and Quansys explored commercialization options to support an improved pricing structure better aligned with the needs of nutritional programs, while also being sustainable for Quansys.
The micronutrient array is now available at a significantly lower price than current commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based methodologies, while offering several advantages over ELISA methods which include multiplexing capability, ease of use, faster run times, and automated read-outs. The new price, which equates to $400 per test kit, is available to low- and middle-income countries, and organizations involved in public health research that benefits low- and middle-income countries.
"PATH and Quansys want to ensure the micronutrient array is affordable for organizations working in nutrition in low- and middle-income countries," says Neha Agarwal, commercialization officer at PATH. "We collaborated with Quansys to streamline the production process, resulting in a more accessible pricing structure and broader access for the world's most vulnerable communities."
More than two billion people are affected by micronutrient deficiencies. These conditions contribute to impaired development, disease, and death, with the burden falling especially hard on young children and expectant mothers in low- and middle-income countries. Micronutrient deficiencies can be addressed through nutrition programs, but it can be difficult and expensive to conduct wide-scale population surveillance needed to guide these interventions.
The micronutrient array simultaneously quantifies vitamin A, iron, and iodine deficiency biomarkers in addition to biomarkers for inflammation and Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Prior to its introduction, users needed to use multiple diagnostic tests for these biomarkers, testing for one analyte at a time with multiple samples. Furthermore, in low-resource and remote settings, these samples needed to be shipped internationally for analyses, requiring time and high costs. Multiplexing enables researchers to obtain more information from a single sample in less time and at lower cost, and the robust nature and ease of use of the Q-Plex technology allows for testing of samples near the communities where they are collected.
As expanded population surveillance becomes simpler and more cost effective with new tools such as the micronutrient array, countries and programs can make data-driven decisions for public health interventions and put limited resources to the most effective use.
The micronutrient array is the result of a partnership between PATH, Quansys, and the University of Washington. The array is manufactured with ISO 9001 and 13485 quality systems to ensure a consistently high-quality product.
The Q-Plex Human Micronutrient Array (7-Plex) can be ordered directly from Quansys Biosciences.
Q-Plex is a trademark of Quansys Biosciences, Inc.
This project is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
For more details, visit: www.quansysbio.com
