The Emergency Department at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, has initiated a 300-subject investigator-led trial using Lumos’ FebriDx® POC test to rapidly identify patients presenting with a suspected viral infection.

MELBOURNE, VIC. (24 October 2021) – Lumos Diagnostics (ASX: LDX), a leader in rapid point-of-care (POC) diagnostic technologies, today announced that the Emergency Department at Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, has initiated a 300-subject investigator-led trial using Lumos’ FebriDx® POC test to rapidly identify patients presenting with a suspected viral infection consistent with COVID-19. This study is based on a similar trial which was conducted at University Hospital Southampton, UK last year showing that FebriDx provides a useful tool for rapidly screening patients and results in improvements in the flow of respiratory illness patients within the emergency department setting.

Lumos’ FebriDx test is a rapid POC test based on two markers produced by the body in response to an infection: CRP, which is produced in response to any microbial infection, and MxA, which is only produced in response to viral infections. As a host-response test, FebriDx does not identify the specific infecting pathogen. However, the study conducted at University Hospital Southampton showed that FebriDx had a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 86% for COVID-19 when compared to reference PCR testing. This translated into a negative predictive value (ability to rely on a negative result) of 93% for FebriDx in their population.

“A rapid and reliable rule-out test for COVID-19 would be an extremely valuable aid for the many Australian Emergency Departments that are currently struggling to cope with an ever-increasing demand for their services,” stated Dr Paul Buntine, Director of Emergency Medicine Research at Eastern Health. “Although we are yet to see how it performs in the current environment, FebriDx has potential advantages over rapid antigen-based COVID-19 tests that are very good at ruling in COVID-19 infection but not so good at ruling it out.”

The screening process currently used at Box Hill Hospital uses a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that usually takes several hours for a result to be available. Lumos’ FebriDx test is able to provide a result in 10 minutes that accurately identifies patients with a viral infection for follow up pathogen-specific testing.

FebriDx is authorized to identify and differentiate viral from bacterial acute respiratory infection; its use for the specific diagnosis of COVID-19 is not authorized.

###

About Lumos Diagnostics
Lumos Diagnostics specialises in rapid, cost-effective, and complete point-of-care (POC) diagnostic test technology to help healthcare professionals more accurately diagnose and manage medical conditions. Lumos offers customised assay development and manufacturing services for POC tests and proprietary digital reader platforms. Lumos also directly develops, manufactures and commercialises novel Lumos-branded POC tests that target infectious and inflammatory diseases.
For more information on Lumos Diagnostics, visit lumosdiagnostics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements, including references to forecasts. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond Lumos’ control and speak only as of the date of this announcement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Media Contacts (U.S. and Global):
Jennifer Christiansen – Lumos Diagnostics
[email protected]
+1 920 784 3153

Media Contact (Australia):
Haley Chartres – H^CK
[email protected]
+61 423 139 163

Investor Contact:
Matthijs Smith – Lumos Diagnostics
[email protected]
+61 411 137 080
+61 3 9087 1598

Company Registered Office:
Lumos Diagnostics Holdings Ltd
Level 4, 100 Albert Rd
South Melbourne, VIC 3205
+61 3 9087 1598