Rapid, ultra-sensitive test for detecting lymphatic filariasis
Official title: Ultrasensitive, High-Specificity Rapid Test to Support the End-Game of the Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
Funded at Big Eye Diagnostics, INC. · NIH-11137772 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is making an inexpensive, easy-to-use rapid strip test to find early Wuchereria bancrofti infections so people and health teams in affected communities can detect and act sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Big Eye Diagnostics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $842,379 |
| NIH project number | 5R44AI170131-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11137772 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living in lymphatic filariasis–endemic regions — especially those in communities that have completed mass drug administration or people with symptoms suggesting filarial infection — would be ideal for sample collection and field testing.
✕Less likely to help
People in non-endemic countries or those whose disease is already advanced with established tissue damage may not get direct benefit from the diagnostic itself.
What this research studies
You would be helped by a new lateral flow assay (a strip test like a pregnancy test) designed to meet WHO targets for surveillance after mass drug campaigns. The team aims to make the test more sensitive than current field tools so it can pick up infections much earlier than the existing Filariasis Test Strip. Developers will refine the chemistry and format in the lab, then compare the new test against known positive and negative samples and conduct field validation in endemic areas. The goal is a low-cost, stable, field-ready test suitable for routine community surveys after treatment programs end.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could find and treat infections earlier, helping stop transmission and reducing the long-term disabilities caused by lymphatic filariasis.
How similar studies have gone: Existing rapid tests (ICT and FTS) have been used for decades to detect active infections but miss early cases, and this project applies improved lateral-flow technology to try to meet WHO's newer sensitivity and specificity targets.
Where this research is happening
-
Big Eye Diagnostics, INC.
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Biamonte, Marco Antonio — Big Eye Diagnostics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Biamonte, Marco Antonio
Related research
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This study is working on a simple test that you can use at home to check for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and HIV, making it easier for people, especially in areas with fewer resources, to get the health care they need.
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A rapid test to detect lymphatic filariasis infections
This study is working on a new, easy-to-use test that can quickly and accurately detect lymphatic filariasis, a disease caused by a parasite, to help communities monitor and manage the disease better, especially after treatment programs.
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A new rapid test for Brugia parasite infection
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.