GC Labs has joined an international research consortium developing a saliva-based diagnostic test for malaria, as researchers seek less invasive alternatives to conventional blood-based testing.
The company said Wednesday it is participating in the “Point of Care Diagnosis of Malaria in Saliva Samples (PROMISE)” project, a multinational effort aimed at developing a rapid malaria diagnostic platform using saliva samples.
The consortium includes Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Aarhus University, Danish biotech company VPCIR, Switzerland-based global health organization FIND and Korea’s Genes Laboratories.
Jeon Yu-ra, a clinical pathologist at GC Labs (third from right), and Ko Woon-young, head of the Infectious Disease Research Center at GC Labs (second from right), pose for a commemorative photo during the first PROMISE consortium meeting held at CERMEL in Gabon. (Courtesy of GC Labs)
Malaria remains one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases, particularly in Africa. According to the company, about 263 million people were infected globally in 2023, with roughly 620,000 deaths reported, most among children under age five.
There are currently no commercially available saliva-based malaria diagnostics, and the PROMISE project is intended to address the need for easier, noninvasive testing, especially in children and low-resource settings.
The core technology was developed by researchers at Aarhus University’s Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics. The consortium is developing a rapid diagnostic kit based on lateral flow assay technology, while also working on enzyme-detection optimization and simplified saliva collection systems.
The completed product is expected to undergo evaluations in multiple countries including Gabon, Benin and Korea.
GC Labs said it will focus on evaluating the diagnostic performance of the test for Plasmodium vivax malaria, the dominant malaria strain in Korea, including sensitivity and specificity assessments.
Company officials attended the consortium’s first meeting, held last November at the Center de Recherches Médicales de Lambaréné in Gabon, to coordinate collaboration with participating institutions.
The project has received about 4 billion won ($2.64 million) in support from RIGHT Foundation, a global health nonprofit established jointly by the Korean government, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Korean life sciences companies.
Lee Sang-gon, president of GC Labs, said the company hopes the project will help expand access to saliva-based point-of-care malaria testing in countries with high disease burdens.
Kim Ji-hye
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