NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Swedish genomics software firm QIucore said today that it has been awarded €600,000 ($790,000) to develop algorithms to support an international consortium developing diagnostic tests for use in treating and monitoring hepatitis C patients.
QIucore said it will develop algorithms to integrate genetic, proteomic, and clinical data from the PoC HCV consortium, a €6 million consortium funded by the EU. The consortium members, which include the UK's Epistem, Portugal's Biosurfit, and INSERM, are working to create a mobile, point-of-care application prototype that can be used at the bedside and in clinical research projects.
They plan to harness their know-how in miniaturized molecular testing, lab-on-a-chip systems, and algorithm design to develop genetic and protein biomarker tests that will be used to decide which patients to treat, choose therapies, monitor patients, and to develop clinical research practices.
QIucore said that point-of-care tests could help physicians make better decisions and lower the cost of treating hepatitis C, which affects 150 million people worldwide and is a €15 billion per year market. The company said it has recruited and increased its engineering capabilities to fulfill its component of the PoC HCV project.
The company plans to make the algorithms it develops available in future versions of its Omics Explorer software.