LumiraDx Limited announced it has received $14.2 Million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for ongoing development of its point of care molecular tuberculosis (TB) testing system. Used with the LumiraDx multi-assay Platform, the molecular TB test is being developed to provide highly accurate results at a low price at the point of care enabling clinicians to immediately commence appropriate treatment and patient management to maximize health outcomes and minimize further spread of infection. According to the World Health Organization's 2022 Global Tuberculosis Report, the difference in the number of people who were infected with TB and the number of people diagnosed with TB widened in both 2020 and 2021 versus 2019 to over 4 million each year.

To address this crisis, a substantial new supply of molecular TB tests is required. However, existing options are limited by price, test run time, electricity requirements as well as a reliance on a sputum sample type, which can be challenging to collect from many patients. The LumiraDx molecular TB test is designed to fill these gaps and needs in the TB testing market and significantly increase access to testing.

With support from the foundation, the testing system is being developed to provide testing at a lower cost and incorporate a tongue swab sample which makes it easier for a higher percentage of patients to be tested.