Infectiology

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing throughout the world; the World Health Organization has declared it one of the top 10 global health threats. Among the main drivers of AMR are the misuse and overuse of antibiotics. One out of three patients receiving antibiotics worldwide does not actually have a bacterial infection. Next to promoting AMR, these unneeded prescriptions can pose great risks to the health of patients, both due to potentially longer-lasting infections and due to an increased risk for detrimental outcomes when the infection becomes more severe. Novel antibiotics, new diagnostics, and better policies are all seen as important solutions to these problems. However, this process is slow, and a new and rapid diagnostic tool that can differentiate bacterial infections from viral infections and indicate the right form of treatment is yet to be developed.

To fill this need, Levels Dx is developing a biomarker panel that can differentiate bacterial infections from viral infections. Recently, serum from patients hospitalized with a respiratory infection was analyzed and processed. This analysis provided a number of promising biomarker combinations that can accurately differentiate bacterial and viral infections. To further validate these biomarkers in a larger cohort of patients, Levels Dx is now working on the organization of more clinical trials with various academic partners.