ISCA Diagnostics
Infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungi remain a leading cause of death worldwide. Fungi alone are responsible for an estimated two million life-threatening infections globally each year.
The lack of diagnostic tools for accurate identification and differentiation of these pathogens results in the incorrect use of antimicrobial drugs and the emergence of resistance to both antibiotics and antifungals.
ISCA Diagnostics Ltd, a University of Exeter spin-out company established by Professor Christopher Thornton in 2012, specialises in the development of point-of-care tests for life-threatening fungal infections of human and animals, enabling ‘bench-to-bedside’ translation of hybridoma technology to the medical and veterinary sectors.
ISCA’s flagship diagnostic test is the Aspergillus lateral-flow device that allows rapid bedside detection of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, a devastating lung disease of immunocompromised patients. Commercialisation of the test and its uptake by hospitals around the world was recognised in the University’s Knowledge Exchange Awards 2022 where ISCA Diagnostics won the category ‘Commercialisation Project of the Year’.
