Avacta to collaborate with Bruker to assess Covid-19 test assay

Biotherapeutics company Avacta has entered into a collaboration agreement with Bruker Corporation, it announced on Thursday, to evaluate the Affimer-based, bead-assisted mass spectrometry SARS-CoV-2 assay that it developed with Adeptrix.

The AIM-traded firm described Bruker as a leading analytical instrumentation company, providing high-performance scientific instruments and high-value analytical and diagnostic solutions to scientists.

It was also one of the foremost suppliers of mass spectrometers, with a “significant” installed based in clinical microbiology laboratories in hospitals worldwide.

Avacta said it had worked with Adeptrix to develop a coronavirus antigen test that combined enrichment of the sample using its ‘Affimer’ reagents with the analytical power of mass-spectrometry.

Up to 1,000 samples per day could be analysed by a single technician using a BAMS assay, exceeding the capacity of the commonly-used PCR machines, making BAMS a “potentially very attractive” high-throughput technique for Covid-19 screening in the clinical setting.

Having successfully developed a prototype test with Adeptrix, Avacta said it had been working with its clinical partners in the UK to refine the assay to fit into the typical workflows in a clinical microbiology laboratory.

The collaboration with Bruker would assess the suitability of the test as a professional-use in-vitro diagnostic product for SARS-CoV-2 infection to run on Bruker's ‘MALDI-TOF’ instruments, for sale in the UK and Europe.

“We will be working closely with Bruker on the clinical assessment of the BAMS assay on Bruker's MALDI-TOF instruments,” said chief executive officer Dr Alastair Smith.

“Our objective is to work with Bruker and our clinical partners to deliver an effective and high throughput assay protocol, that can be applied in the clinical setting, with the required sensitivity and specificity and CE [and] FDA approvals to provide a useful additional diagnostic tool in the fight against the coronavirus.”

At 1215 GMT, shares in Avacta Group were down 7.94% at 125.2p.