Inflammatix Inc. received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation for its Triverity acute infection and sepsis test system, which produces three readouts that could help emergency physicians quickly determine the proper course of treatment.

The time to diagnosis of sepsis infection to a patient in the hospital can be critical, with underdiagnosis resulting in rapid deterioration, risk of organ damage and need for readmission, and overdiagnosis leading to the avoidable and sometimes serious health consequences of overtreating patients with broad-spectrum antibiotics.

Day Zero Diagnostics Inc. and Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc (ONT) joined forces to battle the leading cause of death in hospitals — sepsis. Combining Day Zero’s whole genome sequencing technology for pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility analysis with Oxford’s nanopore-based molecular sensing technology, the companies aim to develop a diagnostic system that provides potentially life-saving identification and guidance on antimicrobial selection in mere hours.

Day Zero Diagnostics Inc. added more of the right kind of zeros to its coffers as it closed a $16 million financing round supported by existing investors. Venture capital investment in the diagnostics company to date totals $49 million, with more than $18 million in additional non-dilutive funding. The company is developing a diagnostic that provides same-day identification of an infectious pathogen and its antimicrobial susceptibility profile.

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.

Another company has entered the fray in the eternal battle between humans and bacteria. Day Zero Diagnostics Inc. aims to produce whole genome sequencing-based diagnostic technologies that quickly identify the species and antibiotic resistance profile of bacterial pathogens from a blood sample. In a vote of confidence that the company is on the right track, the global non-profit Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) awarded Day Zero another $8.2 million. The latest funding pushes Day Zero’s awards from CARB-X over $16 million.

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.