A point of care assay for chlamydia to assure prompt treatment in at risk minorities

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Investigator: Julius Schachter, PhD
Sponsor: Wave 80 Biosciences, Inc

Location(s): United States

Description

The US CDC estimates that 19 million new STD infections occur each year with an economic burden of more than $6 billion. The most common STD is Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), with nearly 3 million new infections each year. Untreated CT infections can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and blindness in newborns. African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians have infection rates 8-fold, 3-fold, and 5-fold higher than whites, respectively. To alleviate this health disparity, we aim to develop a point-of-care diagnostic that will increase CT intervention by enabling access to low-cost testing within minority communities.

This proposal supports the translation of a new point-of-care STD (chlamydia) diagnostic test into a community clinic testing program, toward the goal of increasing early identification of chlamydia infections in populations that are disproportionately affected. We propose collaboration between Wave 80 Biosciences, the San Francisco General Hospital Urgent Care Center, and the OPTIONS Project HIV research program at UCSF to evaluate a new point-of-care (POC) Chlamydia RNA rapid test and to pilot a program for community-based testing and treatment for at-risk and health-disparity populations within a single-visit. This program would particularly benefit patients disproportionately impacted by Chlamydia who would otherwise go undiagnosed for years.