Resistell has received 8.5 million Swiss francs from investors. This is from the first tranche of a series B funding round. The biotech company located in Muttenz in the canton of Basel-Landschaft is planning to conclude a second round next year.
According to a press release, the funds will be used to complete clinical studies with the Resistell Phenotech diagnostic device. It uses phenotypic nanomotion technology to measure living cells, which should accelerate susceptibility testing for new antibiotics. According to Resistell’s CEO Danuta Cichocka, this provides “an innovative solution for one of the world’s largest unmet medical needs”. It allows innovative antibiotics to be developed rapidly that can deliver targeted treatments despite increasing global resistance.
The first half of a clinical study on bacteremia (bacteria in the blood) and sepsis (a life-threatening response to infection) using the Resistell test device has already been conducted at Lausanne University Hospital. According to the information provided, the clinical data shows “a massive impact on time to result and around 95% accuracy with the gold standard.”
The company, which was founded in 2018, plans to use this “strong support” from investors to gain certification in accordance with Europe’s In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation (IVDR). Resistell Chairperson Barbara Staeheli stated that after this, Resistell plans to commercialize its first product in the research market “and seek partnerships with the diagnostic industry, medical centers and academia for bacteremia and a broad range of other indications”.
