Aptitude Medical Systems has started a new partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), receiving $9 million in funding to develop the Metrix Filovirus Panel. This next-generation diagnostic tool is designed to rapidly detect and distinguish between Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus. The Metrix device is compact and portable, capable of delivering lab-quality results in 30 minutes or less using a small blood sample, either from a vein or a fingerstick. Its size and ease of use make it especially valuable for remote areas and clinical environments where immediate testing is needed.
Health Technology Insights: Sunwave Health Earns ONC Health IT Certification for Behavioral Health Providers
This new partnership builds on an earlier BARDA-supported initiative where Aptitude received up to $61.9 million to advance its Metrix diagnostics platform. The new Filovirus Panel is aimed at giving healthcare providers and emergency teams quick, affordable, and accurate testing during outbreaks of high-risk viruses. By enabling testing closer to patients, the Metrix system helps reduce delays and challenges associated with centralized laboratory models. “This partnership shows our promise to fight serious infectious diseases,” said Scott Ferguson, PhD, the CEO of Aptitude. “The Metrix Filovirus Panel is made to give fast and accurate results in tough situations, helping with timely care and stopping outbreaks, without relying on old, centralized ways that don’t work well during fast-moving threats.”
Health Technology Insights: Abra Dental Expands Access to Quality Care with New Paterson, NJ Office
With the latest funding, Aptitude will move ahead with development, clinical validation, and steps toward regulatory approval for the Filovirus Panel. One of the most notable advancements is the system’s expanded ability to test blood samples directly, which increases its range of applications. “Testing right where patients are is key for dealing with dangerous viruses like Ebolavirus and Marburgvirus,” said JP Wang, PhD, the CTO and top leader of Aptitude. “This cooperation allows the Metrix system to use blood samples for the first time, greatly expanding what it can do in many different ways.”
Aptitude’s broader mission is to make high-quality diagnostic testing more accessible and practical worldwide. The Filovirus Panel reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to simplify diagnostic procedures, reduce costs, and deliver reliable tools to frontline healthcare workers. By evolving the Metrix platform beyond respiratory and sexually transmitted infection testing, Aptitude is positioning itself as a key innovator in decentralized diagnostics. This project is being funded, either in full or in part, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
Health Technology Insights: Revival Healthcare and Olympus Invest $458 Million in Swan EndoSurgical
To participate in our interviews, please write to our HealthTech Media Room at sudipto@intentamplify.com
