Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

BARDA Awards up to $30M to Cue Health for Influenza, Respiratory Pathogen Test Development

NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – The US Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has awarded up to $30 million in funding and options to San Diego-based Cue Health to accelerate the development and regulatory validation of over-the-counter and professional-use influenza and multiplex respiratory pathogen diagnostic cartridges for its health monitoring system, the company said today.   

The monitoring system centers around an electronically connected diagnostic device that enables a range of in-home and in-clinic diagnostics, Cue Health said. It uses a custom designed reader to test clinical samples in a disposable test cartridge and then sends the results to a mobile application that provides access to features such as telemedicine consultations for consumers and prescribing capabilities for physicians. 

The firm anticipates developing an influenza cartridge to detect influenza A and B and a cartridge to detect and differentiate between multiple respiratory pathogens. 

In a separate announcement earlier this week, the firm said that it raised more than $45 million in Series B financing that it will use to complete development of its first set of diagnostic products and fund a set of clinical studies to obtain US Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for them. 

According to Cue, its disposable cartridges use advanced DNA/RNA amplification and immunoassay chemistry to generate digital information that is sent to a mobile device.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.