In response to the global public health crisis of increasing bacterial resistance due to antibiotic overuse, PlexBio announced yesterday its joint agreement with Japan's Denka Group, a leader in diagnostic reagents and influenza vaccine development, to develop a fully automated multiplex diagnostic platform for infectious diseases. The agreement includes a signing fee of USD 12.26 million (approximately NT$390 million) and revenue recognition based on balance sheet completion.
Since 2019, PlexBio has collaborated with Denka Group to provide innovative solutions for existing "antibiotic resistance" (AMR) detection. This year, PlexBio established a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) division. Under this arrangement, Denka designs the product concept and licenses PlexBio’s core πCode imaging chip technology, commissioning PlexBio to develop a compact cartridge-based Sample to Result (S2R) fully automated infectious disease diagnostic instrument and reagents.
In recent years, many bacteria have developed resistance, reducing or nullifying the effectiveness of multiple antibiotics. Infectious diseases often progress rapidly, and delays in appropriate treatment can cost precious time. PlexBio’s patented πCode technology offers high sensitivity and can simultaneously detect multiple targets. Compared to traditional bacterial culture methods, it significantly shortens the time to identify pathogens and screens for antibiotic resistance, contributing greatly to the diagnosis of infectious diseases.
Satoshi Minote, PlexBio's CDMO Associate Director, stated that since its establishment in 2010, PlexBio has focused on commercializing its core πCode detection platform and related applications. Through πCode technology licensing, they successfully completed feasibility analyses and product concept designs, showcasing PlexBio’s ability to develop patented technology and integrate CDMO services.
PlexBio Chairman and CEO Tsao Ting emphasized that the project integrates nanotechnology, biosensing, and biochip technology into a compact detection platform capable of rapidly and accurately identifying pathogenic microorganisms and antibiotic resistance genes. He expressed confidence that this product would revolutionize medical diagnostics.
Tsao also highlighted PlexBio's ongoing efforts to use πCode technology as the core in developing tailored CDMO services for customers in molecular diagnostics, liquid sample analysis, genomic research, cancer research, companion diagnostics, infectious disease detection, pharmacogenomics, life sciences research, immunodiagnostic analysis, and proteomics research.
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