A Conversation with Jasmin Major
Antibiotic Research UKJun 13
Swedish Researchers Win $10M Prize for UTI Diagnostic Test
Image copyright: Gado/Contributor/Archive Photos via Getty Images
The Facts
A breakthrough urinary tract infection (UTI) diagnostic test created by Swedish company Sysmex Astrego has won the £8M ($10.2M) Longitude Prize for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) research. The test is called PA-100 AST.
In the test, a urine sample is deposited into a cartridge that detects within 15 minutes whether or not an infection is bacterial. It's then placed in a machine that passes the infection through thousands of channels to determine the best antibiotic to prescribe, taking 45 minutes.
The Spin
Narrative A
AMR is one of the most pressing medical issues of our time, and thanks to the Longitude Prize, years of research have culminated in several diagnostic breakthroughs. While the official competition is over, and PA-100 AST has won, scientists are now working to distribute this technology across the globe and even develop it further. This technology has the chance to save millions of lives so long as funding and research continue.
Narrative B
While we should celebrate this breakthrough and thank the scientists behind it, it's also important to remember Big Pharma's role in the collapse of the antibiotic industry. Once drug patents expire and corporations can no longer hike prices, these companies stop manufacturing life-saving drugs, leaving patients out to dry. Victory over AMR could come quicker if Big Pharma chose to prioritize people over profits.