Aqsens Health Oy and the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) continue their collaboration as the complete results of the proof of concept study with malaria show that Aqsens Health’s non-invasive E-TRF method is able to reliably detect malaria from saliva.
In addition to E-TRF, Aqsens Health has been developing an accurate, quick and fully mobile analysis and screening platform, AQ MOBI that can be used by non-medically trained persons in non-laboratory conditions.
During their trip to Ghana, Aqsens Health’s CEO Timo and Head of Laboratory Vilhelmiina had the great chance to meet with the Ghana Health Services, National Malaria Control Program, Ghana Standards Authority, and Ghana FDA. All the meetings were very informative and extremely promising for the further development of the AQ MOBI platform.
The Aqsens team also had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the NMIMR facilities, biosafety practises and their research priorities on lethal infectious diseases. The discussions with the Noguchi management and Research Fellow Dr. Linda Amoah were extremely beneficial, and Aqsens Health and the NMIMR agreed to further deepen mutual collaboration to validate and develop tests for epidemics which are prevailing in Ghana and in Africa.
In order to take the next steps in Ghana, Aqsens Health will start the process of incorporating a local company in Accra.
This will allow for the efficient collaboration between Aqsens and collaborators in Ghana, and also for the training of NMIMR research personnel in Finland in early 2022 to be able to conduct research work related to Aqsens Health’s E-TRF method independently in Ghana. In addition, the company can also start the productization of the malaria test and other required activities.
The trip to Accra was a great experience for the Aqsens Health team, and the company was very happy to continue the collaboration with the NMIMR and to start new collaborations with other partners in Ghana.
Aqsens Health continues to work diligently to bring the AQ MOBI platform to the market, and the new connections and partnerships created in Ghana will be an essential part of this mission. Collaborating with high-quality research institutes and dedicated people can deliver great research results and a good basis for productization of rapid tests with the Aqsens technology.
“Interest towards our solution and capabilities showed that there is an evident need for new screening methods for malaria and other severe infectious diseases, and we as a company are committed with our collaborators to work long-term for better disease management in Ghana. This would bring a major impact for tackling diseases and epidemics without forgetting the well-being of the individuals”, Vilhelmiina summarized