CARE TO INNOVATE

Making health products accessible to those who need them most

By Emily Adams July 15, 2024
The historic city of Oxford recently played host to the International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024 , an event that drew over 450 delegates from around the world. Held at the prestigious University of Oxford , the conference centred on the theme "Collaboration Beyond Boundaries," emphasising the need for interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships to combat global pandemic threats. Global Access Diagnostics (GADx), a leading developer of lateral flow and rapid diagnostic technologies, was well-represented at this crucial event. GADx's mission to deliver fast, reliable, and accurate diagnoses at the point of care aligns closely with the conference's focus on improving global pandemic preparedness. GADx Delegation Among the attendees were key representatives from GADx: Dr Emily Adams, VP of Global Health & Business Development Dr Kevin Land, Chief Development Officer Dr Sophie Owen, Global Health Lead These team members actively participated in discussions, shared insights from their extensive experience in diagnostic development, and forged new connections with fellow experts in the field. Key Takeaways and Insights 100-Day Preparedness A major theme of the conference was "100-day preparedness" – focusing on optimising early pandemic responses within the first 100 days. Dr Kevin Land shared his thoughts on this concept: "Pandemic preparedness receives a lot of attention. It's important that we are involved. OneHealth and zoonotic transmission are large components and intimately linked to global health," he remarked. "Diagnostics is often still underrepresented and underfunded, with the majority of funding going towards vaccines, treatment, and social aspects." Dr Emily Adams offered additional insights on the funding landscape: "The huge majority of funding goes towards vaccine development because that was the solution to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, vaccines are not suitable for every infectious disease or every pandemic. We really should be looking at other interventions such as diagnostics and therapeutics, alongside vaccines." Emerging Threats and Diagnostic Needs Dr Sophie Owen highlighted a particularly insightful session: "The highlight of the conference for me was the cross-disciplinary plenary session dedicated to Nipah. There are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for Nipah which has a high case fatality rate. There's a clear need for rapid point-of-care diagnostics to aid in patient management and ongoing surveillance efforts." The conference also shed light on the importance of animal health in preventing human pandemics. Dr Adams noted an unexpected insight: "The lack of testing during the avian flu outbreak in cows in the USA was surprising. It makes me think that on a world health agenda, we could better protect humans by improving surveillance in animals. This is something to move forward with for diagnostics." Collaborations and Networking The conference provided an excellent platform for GADx to showcase its ongoing collaborations and forge new connections. Dr Sophie Owen highlighted one such partnership: "We saw two excellent presentations from Professor Munir Iqbal on the emergence and fitness of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b viruses and his work with GADx. His insights were incredibly valuable and highlighted the critical importance of ongoing research in this area and we look forward to continuing our work with him." The networking opportunities were particularly valuable, as Dr Land reflected: "I made fantastic connections with leading academic groups and students. This is crucial for fostering collaboration and advancing our shared goals in pandemic preparedness." Dr Adams echoed this sentiment and further elaborated on the connections made: "We made some fantastic connections with leading academic groups and individuals working in real-time data collection from outbreaks like avian flu and mpox. Additionally, our partner Munir Iqbal from the Pirbright Institute made two fantastic presentations on avian flu, and we are really proud and excited to promote that collaboration." Future Conferences and GADx's Role As plans for next year's conference take shape, GADx is already looking forward to an expanded role. Dr Adams noted the growing importance of the event: "This was the second conference held in Oxford. The first had about 300 people, and this year it was about 450. It's clearly an area that is expanding and requires attention. We look forward to working and collaborating with the Pandemic Sciences Institute on a diagnostic session next year." She also highlighted the benefits of attending: "The conference is a great platform to connect and collaborate with others in the field. It also provides excellent opportunities to look for funding and explore new partnerships." GADx's Commitment to Pandemic Preparedness The International Pandemic Sciences Conference 2024 underscored the importance of a holistic approach to pandemic preparedness, focusing not only on vaccines but also on diagnostics and therapeutics. The experiences of Dr Emily Adams, Dr Kevin Land, and Dr Sophie Owen highlight the critical need for balanced funding and comprehensive strategies in pandemic response. As a leader in rapid diagnostic technologies, GADx is committed to playing a crucial role in improving global pandemic preparedness. Our ongoing projects in both human and animal health diagnostics are set to contribute significantly to early detection and response to future health threats. To learn more about GADx's work in pandemic preparedness and explore potential collaborations, get in touch .
By Emily Adams June 24, 2024
GADx is pleased to announce its significant contribution to a groundbreaking study published in PLoS One. The research, titled " Performance of Novel Antibodies for Lipoarabinomannan to Develop Diagnostic Tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis ," showcases the collaborative efforts of international experts to enhance TB diagnostics. This study evaluates the performance of novel antibodies targeting lipoarabinomannan (LAM), a key component of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) cell wall. The work of our team members, James Schouten and Paul Davis, has been instrumental in advancing this important research. Their efforts, along with contributions from other global health organizations, aim to improve the sensitivity and specificity of TB diagnostic tests. James Schouten said: “It was incredibly inspiring to work alongside many valued experts in the field of TB diagnostics. The discovery of novel TB-LAM antibodies with high affinity to target and unique specificities was an exciting development and we look forward to further demonstrating their potential in detecting LAM at clinically relevant levels, with the aim of significantly improving TB diagnosis and patient care.” Key Findings The study assessed 25 new and 4 existing antibodies to find optimal combinations for detecting LAM in the urine of TB patients. Using a multiplex electrochemiluminescence-based liquid immunoassay, the researchers evaluated 841 antibody pairs to identify those offering superior performance compared to existing tests. The results revealed 28 antibody pairs with strong binding affinities, highlighting their potential to significantly enhance TB diagnostic accuracy. This advancement is crucial for developing rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) effective in resource-limited settings. Despite the identification of several new antibody pairs with high sensitivity to cultured LAM (cLAM), none of the candidates demonstrated increased performance with urinary LAM (uLAM) compared to an existing optimal pair. This finding suggests that further research is needed to develop antibodies that can effectively detect LAM in urine samples from TB patients. Implications for TB Diagnosis Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted TB diagnosis and treatment, making the development of rapid and accurate diagnostic tools even more urgent. The antibodies developed through this study promise to facilitate early detection and timely treatment, thereby saving lives and reducing transmission. Collaborative Effort This research underscores the power of global collaboration, involving institutions such as PATH, FIND, various universities, and health institutes worldwide. The project received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Increased Demand for Antibodies Since the publication of this study, GADx has seen a surge in enquiries about these novel antibodies. This increased interest reflects the critical need for improved TB diagnostics and the potential impact of our latest advancements. To learn more or to request information, please visit our contact page .  For more information on the study, visit the PLoS One website here .
By Emily Adams June 24, 2024
Global Access Diagnostics (GADx) has been selected as a spoke for the Investor Catalyst Hub, a regional hub of ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network launched by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health ( ARPA-H ). Based in the Greater Boston area and managed by VentureWell, the Investor Catalyst Hub seeks to accelerate the commercialization of groundbreaking and accessible biomedical solutions. It utilizes an innovative hub-and-spoke model designed to reach a wide range of nonprofit organizations and Minority-Serving Institutions, with the ultimate aim of delivering scalable healthcare outcomes for all Americans. GADx joins a dynamic nationwide network of organizations aligned to ARPA-H’s overarching mission to improve health outcomes through the following research focus areas: health science futures, proactive health, scalable solutions, and resilient systems. Investor Catalyst Hub spokes represent a broad spectrum of expertise, geographic diversity, and community perspectives. “Our spoke network embodies a rich and representative range of perspectives and expertise,” said Mark Marino, Vice President of Growth Strategy and Development for VentureWell and Project Director for the Investor Catalyst Hub. “Our spokes comprise a diverse network that will be instrumental in ensuring that equitable health solutions reach communities across every state and tribal nation.” As an Investor Catalyst Hub spoke, Global Access Diagnostics gains access to potential funding and flexible contracting for faster award execution compared to traditional government contracts. Spoke membership also offers opportunities to provide input on ARPA-H challenge areas and priorities, along with access to valuable networking opportunities and a robust resource library.  The spoke network will continue to grow as the Investor Catalyst Hub expands its efforts, with applications being selected on a rolling basis. Interested organizations can visit Investor Catalyst Hub to learn more or submit a membership application.
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Re-investing profits in global health

Radically open with intellectual property

Focus on responding to future pandemics

Support local manufacturing capacity

GAH reinvesting profits

Re-investing profits in global health

GAH intellectual property icon

Radically open with intellectual property

GAH on focusing to future pandemics icon

Focus on responding to future pandemics

GAH local manufacturing capacity icon

Support local manufacturing capacity

ABOUT US

Global access to health innovations

Many people cannot access innovations in health that could improve or even save their lives. We believe that people should be able to access essential healthcare they need, no matter where they were born. And in an interconnected world, we know that disease anywhere can be a threat everywhere. That’s why Global Access Health uses a new business model to combine the best of science, business and philanthropy to bring better innovations in healthcare to more people around the world.

GAH experiment for innovation

A new model for innovation in health

Global Access Health is a beyond-profit biotechnology company. We’re the first to commit our profits to providing community access to affordable state-of-the-art medical technology, in particular for the Global South.


We re-invest proceeds from commercial activities to support our primary goal of expanding access to affordable, high quality diagnostics and medical solutions to underserved communities.


We focus on expanding community access beyond the clinical care setting through decentralized research, development, and manufacturing.


Read below how we are starting with diagnostics.

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OUR FIRST PORTFOLIO COMPANY

Global Access Diagnostics

Global Access Diagnostics (GADx) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced lateral flow and rapid diagnostic technologies. Leveraging our core technology platforms, we work with businesses, governments and international organisations, reinvesting our profits to deliver high quality and affordable diagnostics for everyone.


GADx also offers world-leading expertise for contract research and development as well as helping companies to scale-up manufacturing (prototyping to pilot-scale) and then facilitate local manufacturing and/or onward distribution throughout the world, with a focus on low and middle income countries.

Our approach is radically different

Re-investing profits in global health

We commercialize quality products and reinvest profits into the global health mission.

Radically open with intellectual property

We prioritize impact on end users over our bottom line, and are open to partnering with self-sustainable models.

Focus on responding to future pandemics

We develop diagnostics for emerging infectious diseases and build equitable solutions for rapid outbreak response.

Support local manufacturing capacity

We facilitate a network of production facilities and distributors to enable rapid affordable access in LMICs.

Get in touch

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Get in touch with us now. Let’s explore how we can work together to strengthen community access to affordable medical technology and ensure that global health innovations reach the people that need it, everywhere.

Equitable access to high quality and affordable diagnostics and medicine for all.

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