Atomo Diagnostics (ASX: AT1) has again been recognised by the Australian government with the award of a $2.44 million grant to develop a unique syphilis test.

The Australian-based medical device company was awarded the CRC-P industry grant from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR) to support the development of an innovative rapid active syphilis test for point-of-care professional use and at-home self-testing.

Previous federal government funding also helped expand Atomo’s HIV testing vending machine deployment, creating a significant increase in access to free tests at key locations.

Major health concern

Many people with syphilis may not notice any symptoms and they can also go undetected by healthcare providers.

If untreated, syphilis can persist for many years and is an increasingly urgent public health challenge globally, with WHO estimating that 8 million people acquired the disease in 2022.

A recent report by the Kirby Institute indicated that syphilis diagnoses in Australia have tripled over the last decade.

Rapid test solution

Atomo’s unique solution will represent a first for the global market, as existing rapid syphilis tests – none of which are currently approved for self-test use in Australia – only detect antibodies present in both active infections and prior treated infections.

Chief executive officer John Kelly said the grant follows many months of collaboration between Atomo and the Burnet Institute on an easy-to-use solution that addresses this important unmet clinical need.

“Atomo recognises the growing demand for STI testing via the consumer retail market and anticipates leveraging its existing commercial channels for the Atomo HIV Self-Test,” Mr Kelly said.

HIV home-use test

Atomo’s HIV test is currently the only home-use test approved for supply in Australia to partners such as Blooms and is a leading test in the UK consumer market, available through Boots Pharmacies and Tesco Supermarkets.

The unique test, designed for both point-of-care professional use and at-home self-testing, combines Atomo’s proven integrated Pascal cassette that works with a small finger-prick blood sample.

A unique syphilis antibody assay developed by the Burnet Institute distinguishes active infections from previously treated cases.

Previous funding

Atomo reported in mid-June that government-funded procurement of its HIV tests had commenced.

The program, run by the National Association of People with HIV Australia (NAPWHA), was designed to improve testing rates among at-risk groups through the supply of free HIV self-tests via a mail-out program.

Based on funding committed by the federal government for expansion of the national program and pricing agreed with NAPWHA for order fulfilment by Atomo, the company has budgeted for approximately $1.3m in revenue over the next two years.