Urine Malaria Test (UMT) kit unveiled in Lagos on HWN MALARIA UPDATE

A 25-minute do-it-yourself Urine Malaria Test (UMT) kit has been unveiled in Lagos by Fyodor Biotechnologies Nigeria Ltd, a subsidiary of Fyodor Biotechnologies Corps, United States (US).

The kit, marketed  by Geneith Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Ltd,  is the first- ever non-blood malaria test kit that will tell in less than 25 minutes if a fever is caused by malaria or not.

The technology, according to the company, requires a few drops of urine without any reagent or equipment.

The Chief Executive Officer, Fyodor Biotechnologies Corps, Mr. Eddy Agbo, said despite the huge success recorded in the fight against malaria, it remains the single most deadly disease across the world.

Malaria, he said, affects about 3.2 billion people in 97 countries.

Agbo said half a million people die of malaria yearly, stressing that most malaria deaths occur within 48 hours of fever onset and children under-five years are particularly vulnerable.

Fever is a sign of malaria, but many other diseases can also present with fever. So, prompt accurate diagnosis is critical before initiating treatment,” he said.

He said the UMT was the first to have its clinical trial and validation done in the country.  ”It is a one step, no blood, no reagent, no equipment, read by eyes, which performs equivalently with malaria rapid blood tests.

The UMT is a simple dipstick test that uses immunochromatographic technology to detect malaria proteins shed in the urine of persons with fever due to malaria. The test process is simple: add patient urine into sample cup provided in kit; dip and leave UMT strip in the sample for 25 minutes; read result: one line indicates no malaria and two lines indicate malaria,” he said.

Agbo said UMT will enable healthcare providers to follow national and international guidelines of test before treating malaria.

Besides, it is suitable for public and private healthcare setting.

Fyodor has worked closely with many collaborators and partners to ensure that the UMT undergo full-scale pivotal clinical trial. Pre-clinical and clinical validation studies were conducted in partner with College of Medicine, University of Lagos; University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital; Johns Hopkins University United States; Duke University USA; the Federal Ministry of Health and National Malaria Elimination Program; Lagos State Ministry of Health and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control,” he said.