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.