Sherlock Biosciences Receives Grant To Advance HPV Diagnostics
Support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will improve access to Human Papillomavirus testing, with a focus on remote environments and economically-challenged populations
WATERTOWN, MA, September 12, 2023 — Sherlock Biosciences, a company engineering biology to bring next-generation diagnostics over the counter and beyond, today announced that it has received additional funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance rapid, instrument-free molecular diagnostics for Human Papillomavirus (HPV). The World Health Organization reports that “cervical cancer is the fourth most common type of cancer in women, and more than 95% of cervical cancer is caused by sexually transmitted HPV.”
Amid a global surge in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), new approaches to diagnostics are urgently required and Sherlock Biosciences is addressing critical gaps in global healthcare through the development of portable, disposable, low-cost diagnostic tests that deliver immediate lab-quality results without the need for laboratories.
“This support will further promote Sherlock’s mission to bring the most advanced diagnostic technologies to the most remote or underprivileged environments. We are delighted that the Gates Foundation is extending their support to Sherlock and bringing focus to HPV, one of the fastest-growing, treatable diseases worldwide,” said Bryan Dechairo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sherlock Biosciences.
Sherlock Biosciences has previously received grants from the Gates Foundation to develop chemistries to expand its assay menu, as well as $5 million in 2020 to develop a CRISPR-based assay for SARS-CoV-2.
Sherlock’s molecular detection enables PCR-quality results, untethered from a central laboratory. Sherlock’s diagnostics can deliver robust high-sensitivity amplification in under five minutes, bringing healthcare closer to people and providing results when they need them. Sherlock’s disposable format brings down the cost of diagnostics and enables global reach, especially in under-served low-resource settings, for better management of disease outbreaks such as HPV.
“Sherlock is at the forefront of global disease detection and diagnosis and we’re delighted that the Gates Foundation continues to support our mission ,” said Jim Collins, Ph. D., co-founder and board member of Sherlock Biosciences. “HPV infection is a global problem with cervical cancer being one of the major reasons for higher rates of mortality for women. Yet, it is highly treatable if detected early. Advanced diagnostics are essential for early detection, which is why this grant is so important.”
About Sherlock Biosciences
Sherlock Biosciences is a global health company that is bringing diagnostics answers over the counter and beyond. Sherlock’s molecular diagnostics leverage proprietary CRISPR and SynBio chemistries to rapidly deliver results anytime, anywhere they are needed, bringing together the lab accuracy of PCR with the convenience and ease-of-use of antigen tests for molecular diagnostics at the point-of-need. Two novel device platforms including a disposable format, deliver affordable, accurate and accessible diagnostics in the home and in low resource settings, opening up a wide range of applications in areas including infectious disease, early detection of cancer, treatment monitoring and precision medicine. In 2020, the company made history with the first
FDA-authorized use of CRISPR technology. For more information, please visit www.sherlock.bio.
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