Selux Diagnostics Inc. received U.S. FDA 510(k) clearance for its next generation phenotyping (NGP) system, a rapid antibiotic susceptibility test (AST) platform that determines a bacteria’s susceptibility to 14 specific antimicrobial agents in less than six hours. Prompt identification of the narrowest effective antimicrobial for an infection is critical to the battle to preserve the efficacy of critical antibiotics and slow the development of ‘superbug’ infections.

Day Zero Diagnostics Inc. has reported that data presented at IDWeek highlighted the promise of the company’s new class of diagnostics as it works toward its goal of detecting superbug infections quickly. The company ultimately is hoping to get regulatory signoffs in both the U.S. and Europe for its technology.

One necessary step to fend off a dystopian future of medical care without antibiotics is the development of new antibiotics. Another is improved deployment of existing ones, a feat which will take, among other things, better antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). “I’m astounded that we can get men to the moon, and we are using practices [dating] almost back to the age of Robert Koch to identify bacteria,” Deborah Hung told BioWorld MedTech. “The standard practice takes amazingly long.”