Providing the New Generation of Nano-Based Molecular Technology for the Early Detection of Bacteria, Viruses and Cancer at the Point of Care

Project Information

Nano4

Grant agreement ID: 781562

DOI

10.3030/781562

Project closed

EC signature date 10 July 2017

Start date 1 July 2017

End date 30 November 2017

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Nanotechnologies

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

NANO4 GLOBAL LDA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Nano4 (Providing the New Generation of Nano-Based Molecular Technology for the Early Detection of Bacteria, Viruses and Cancer at the Point of Care)

Reporting period: 2017-07-01 to 2017-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Nano4 Global focuses on the development of the NANO4 platform. It is a nanotechnology platform applied to diagnostics that provides simple, easy and fast colorimetric detection of DNA and RNA with single base selectivity. It can therefore be used in a wide range of applications of which some in process of validations like: tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance or Zika, some types of cancers (e.g. leukemia and other indications being tested like lung or colon).
The Nano4 project has several fundamental goals, such as:
• Speed: being able to test at point of need, reducing time to result from several days at central lab to few minutes at day hospital or emergency room.
• Faster decision-making: especially in cases of epidemics, from two days to a week is the waiting time for lab results that can cost lives and where emotional trauma can be deep
• Triage: in rescue situations, such as the looming ZIKA epidemic, immediate information that helps to sort people on their need for treatment which can maximize the number of healthy survivors.
• A reduction in waiting time: high-dependency post-operative care time, emergency room time, number of outpatient clinic visits, and number of hospital beds required. Nano4 can have a major impact and ensure optimal use of professional time.

With our feasibility study, our objective was to make sure that NANO4 platform and clinical studies were viable and market oriented and, furthermore, we have also proceeded with the assessment of our market, business model and risks of project deployment. It was also important to plan our work schedule for the next two years of Phase 2 project, as well as our business plan. We have also aimed to define our IPR strategy.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Since the beginning of our company, we focused on studying and understanding the market we want to get in and competitors we are about to face. We have concluded that the total market of molecular diagnostics is high. It is a multibillion euro opportunity. Molecular diagnostics can serve several fields from infectious disease to cancer including companion diagnostics. Most common applications are in infectious diseases, where some major players have their key commercial and development programs. Nevertheless, companion diagnostics and cancer are the field that is forecasted top growth in the coming years.
After understanding the competition environment, we have focused ourselves, aiming to maximize our efficiency as a company. We developed our business model, sales channels, cost & pricing strategy, customer and stakeholder relationships.
Besides all, we had the need to protect our most valuable asset – our intellectual property and the algorithm behind the NANO4 platform. Since there have been plenty of scientific publications and presentations describing the scope of the innovation and its applications, the core algorithm for manufacturing is still under trade secret. Also, other patents are being filled related to reagents production and the technology for direct detection. Finally, we have worked on our marketing and financial plans, focusing on commercial and communication strategy as well as sales forecast, cost analysis and sources of financing.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Currently we are expecting to prepare our roll-to-market. Afterwards we intend to gather as much data as possible in order our launch have a major impact on people lives.
Our current portfolio indications on TB and CML, will be the ones that will confirm our strength and market player position. We are focused to lead the NANO4 platform to become a strong player in the short term.
Our ultimate objective is to leverage the NANO4 nanotechnology platform to other applications in medicine and life science, thereby expanding the current indications. We are convinced that fast, accurate, low-cost and user-friendly diagnostic of certain viruses, pathogens and cancer-types through NANO4 platform will help healthcare decision-makers to act quickly, saving lives, reduce pain, decreasing mistakes and even preventing epidemics. Our business objective is to make NANO4 platform a standard at Point of Need diagnostics and this technology becoming a global leader in nano-based molecular diagnostic technology.

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