EDX Medical Group plc (AQSE:EDX), which develops innovative digital diagnostic products and services for major diseases, has completed the development and technical validation of a pioneering rapid pneumonia test for critically ill patients that is now being deployed successfully in NHS clinical practice.
The Ventilator-Acquired Pneumonia test, or ‘VAP’ test, enables rapid and informed changes to antibiotic prescribing and enhancement of clinical care in critically ill patients. The test, which helps guide treatment by detecting a broad range of viral, fungal and bacterial pathogens in a small sample of fluid drawn from the patient’s lung, is now in service on The John Farman Intensive Care Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge.
The test has benefited several patients since its transition into clinical service last month. Given the critical conditions of these patients, the test results are available via a secure digital link to authorised ICU clinical staff within a matter of hours. In comparison, traditional microbiological assays take several days to generate results.
Hospital acquired pneumonia cases alone cost the NHS an estimated £1.5 billion per year and take almost one million bed days from service, much of which can be avoided by early detection. Community acquired pneumonia is a common infectious cause of admission to intensive care, and hospitalised patients are estimated to cost the NHS £731 million per year.
The test was developed and deployed on The John Farman Intensive Care Unit in collaboration with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and University of Cambridge. EDX Medical licensed the intellectual property and clinical research data for the VAP test from Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), Cambridge University and UKHSA via Cambridge Enterprise in 2025.
EDX Medical has completed development and technical validation of the test with its partner, the global life sciences company, Thermo Fisher Scientific, EMEA, (Thermo Fisher) and CUH.
CUH and EDX Medical have entered into a four-year service agreement for the Company to provide the assay to CUH.
EDX Medical will, under an existing collaboration with Thermo Fisher, further develop and validate a kit version of the test that can then be provided to other hospitals and laboratories in the UK and Europe, subject to regulatory approval.
Dr Vilas Navapurkar, Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, Cambridge University Hospitals said: “We are absolutely delighted that, after a lot of hard work, this partnership with EDX has delivered a test that is innovative and helpful in the care of critically ill patients on ICU.”
“The deployment of this test in our clinical practice is a milestone moment for the ICU here at Addenbrooke’s and has already demonstrated its beneficial impact for a number of patients. It’s a great example of the benefits of new technologies in the NHS.
“We are excited about the prospect of using the VAP test in the unit and supporting the partnership with EDX, to enable its regulatory approval and wider use to improve the care of critically ill ICU patients across the UK and Europe.”
Professor Sir Chris Evans, founder of EDX Medical, said: “This important project has delivered a world class test that has already shown that it can help save lives. We are delighted to have been able to help bring this test to the NHS and will continue our work to obtain regulatory approval so that many more patients can benefit.”
Dr Mike Hudson, CEO of EDX Medical said: “The VAP test is the result of a great collaboration with the experts at Addenbrooke’s and Cambridge University working with our scientists and the resources of Thermo Fisher. We’re delighted to see it now being deployed in the Addenbrooke’s ICU thanks to the support of the hospital leadership and ICU clinical team. We are now working to generate real world data for regulators in order to make the VAP test available more widely as soon as possible and to help improve antibiotic custodianship and control of MRSA.”
The development of the test, backed in the early stages by Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT), supports the Government’s 10-year strategic plan for the NHS by deploying digital technology to bedside care to treat patients better and earlier. The test, refined on CUH’s John Farman Intensive Care Unit, provides sensitive identification and quantification of the microbes (bacteria, fungi and viruses) that can cause respiratory infections in the critically ill, enabling rapid selection of the most effective treatment.
Improved custodianship of antibiotic use is key to speeding patient recovery and improving patient outcomes – whilst limiting the risk of resistant bacteria emerging in hospitals leading to greater safety risks.
