Personalized Medicine, Diagnostics Initiative Gains SEK 12M Boost

KK-stiftelsen, a foundation that funds research and competence development at Swedish universities in collaboration with the business sector, has granted SEK 12 million to a consortium involving medtech company Capitainer to develop diagnostic platforms for some of the world’s most serious medical conditions.

The project, “Advanced materials for individualized medicine and diagnostics,” includes Capitainer, Attana, AroCell, Luma Metall and Region Kalmar. It is being conducted at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden, and led by Professor Ian Nicholls.

“The demand for personalized self-monitoring of medical conditions is steadily rising. This is fueled by society’s desire to minimize waiting times and healthcare expenses, as well as by responding to patients’ increasing interest in enhancing their quality of life without relying on frequent healthcare visits,” Capitainer Chief Medical Officer Mathias Karlsson, M.D.
 
The project aims to develop highly sensitive and reliable diagnostic platforms and associated sample-handling techniques for important medical conditions to provide increased knowledge to healthcare providers, patients, policymakers and researchers. This is achieved by developing diagnostic tools based on new sensor platforms and sample-handling techniques.
 
Three out of four sub-projects (Biomarkers, Viruses and Bacteria) are based on blood sampling using Capitainer’s concept for self-sampling of blood. The company has developed unique technologies for collecting an exact amount of fluid and then allowing it to dry on a sample card.
 
“Tests and analyses have been developed for and from our sample material. The fact that Capitainer’s self-sampling card serves as the foundation for this groundbreaking project is a clear indication of our pivotal role in advancing highly sensitive and robust diagnostic solutions for individualized monitoring,” Capitainer CEO Christopher Aulin stated.
 
Capitainer AB is a Swedish medtech company founded in 2016. Capitainer develops and sells intelligent solutions for self-sampling of blood, plasma, and urine. The company has developed technologies for collecting an exact amount of fluid and then allowing it to dry. The sample card can be sent with regular mail to laboratories without needing refrigerated transports or special packaging. The precision and accuracy in Capitainer’s samples perform on the same level as established pipetting methods. The products can be applied within several market segments, for instance, clinical biomarkers, therapeutic drug monitoring, genomics, drug development, drug abuse and doping testing, and R&D and clinical studies.