PRESS RELEASE: BIOMEDICAL SCREENING DEVICES
SOON IN YOUR PHARMACY
Source: Abionic.com
Biomedical screening devices soon in your pharmacy Lausanne, Switzerland, May 11, 2016 – Starting in November, the AbioSCOPE, a biomedical screening device, in particular for allergies and iron deficiency, will progressively be available in pharmacies in Switzerland. Abionic, the company which developed the device, has signed a partnership with Ofac, the professional cooperative of Swiss pharmacists.
The AbioSCOPE devices will be installed as early as November in certain Swiss pharmacies. With these small biomedical devices, customers will receive within fifteen minutes a reliable diagnosis for the presence of respiratory allergy or a lack of iron. A partnership has been signed between the company Abionic, which developed these devices at the Innovation Park at EPFL, and Ofac, the professional cooperative of Swiss pharmacists which will handle their distribution. This new service is in line with the reorientation experienced by pharmacies in recent years.
“Beyond the delivery of drugs, pharmacies are turning gradually towards value-added services. They offer simple and innovative solutions that meet the needs of their patients, both in the field of screening as well as therapy monitoring. “That is why we welcome this agreement with Abionic “, says Dr. Mario Magada, Managing Director of Ofac.
This new field of reliable diagnostic offers pharmacies an easier access to screening and it is time-saving for their customers, who will then see a doctor if necessary and with more knowledge. Allergy, 4th most common disease worldwide Allergies are constantly increasing in Switzerland and worldwide. According to figures from the World Health Organization, allergy is now the fourth most common disease on the planet.
The most common allergic symptoms that people suffer from are caused by airborne allergens, such as pollens, mites, cats or dogs, in 50% of cases. As screening requirements increased proportionally, Abionic responded to this need with its first commercially available tests. Capsules for other conditions, such as diabetes or sepsis, are in preparation. “Our goal is to improve the world of medical diagnostics in general, by providing healthcare players a rapid platform based on revolutionary nanotechnology”, says Dr. Nicolas Durand, CEO of Abionic. Another version of the device, intended primarily for physicians, provides highly accurate quantitative results.
It is a groundbreaking alternative to tedious skin tests in the case of allergies. Abionic SA ⏐ EPFL Innovation Park, Bâtiment B ⏐ CH-1015 Lausanne ⏐ www.abionic.com ⏐ info@abionic.com ⏐ phone +41 21 693 82 50 The tactile interface makes the use of the AbioSCOPE highly intuitive; the first developments of this product originate from the EPFL micro-engineering laboratories. The pharmacist takes a few drops of blood and mixes them with a reagent. He then deposits this liquid on a disk equipped with electronic chips that will be read by the device. With the first result – the concentration of immunoglobulin protein E (IgE) – the existence of an allergy can be confirmed within five minutes. The specification of the allergen to which the customer responded to appears 10 minutes later.
This data can be integrated directly into the patient electronic file. Depending on the result, the pharmacist will redirect the client to a specialist or offer him medication. “We are particularly proud to collaborate with this Swiss start-up whose scientific and technical qualities have been widely recognized,” said Dr. Mario Magada. Already tested in four pharmacies in the canton of Vaud, the AbioSCOPE has already convinced users and pharmacists.
The customer can find the nearest AbioSCOPE on the company’s website. About Abionic SA: Abionic, founded in 2010, is based at the Innovation Park at EPFL. In 2012, Abionic obtained the quality certification ISO 9001 and 13485 for research and development, production, and marketing of products for the in-vitro diagnostics market, it was named “Best Start-up” active in medical technology, 4 years in a row (2012 to 2015) by the jury of startup.ch. Recipient of about 20 awards received since 2010 (record in Switzerland), Abionic is proud of the broad recognition it has earned for his achievements in scientific and technical fields.
Also supported by the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, the Canton of Vaud, Venturelab, Genilem, and Innovaud, it is currently seeking funding of 20 million Swiss francs that will allow a full entry into the stage of the SME. Website: https://www.abionic.com About Ofac: Ofac, the professional cooperative of Swiss pharmacists based in Geneva, is responsible since 1963 for billing pharmaceutical receivables (prescriptions dispensed) to insurance institutions and the insured individuals. Each year, more than 15 million invoices are established for a total amount exceeding 2 billion Swiss francs.
Its innovative spirit has enabled it to anticipate the significant changes experienced by the pharmacist profession. Ofac today offers a wide range of customized solutions, covering all activities of the pharmacy to enable the pharmacist to concentrate freely and independently on the essential of his profession: the service to the patient. Website : http://www.ofac.ch Abionic SA ⏐ EPFL Innovation Park, Bâtiment B ⏐ CH-1015 Lausanne ⏐ www.abionic.com ⏐ info@abionic.com ⏐ phone +41 21 693 82 50 Contacts: Dr. Nicolas Durand, CEO Abionic, iwan.maerki@abionic.com, +41 79 887 98 33 Carlos Sanchez, Ofac Communication Manager, sanchez@OFAC.CH, +41 22 718 98 44 Legend: Iwan Märki (CTO Abionic), Nicolas Durand (CEO Abionic), Mario Magada (CEO Ofac) and David Voltz (COO Ofac) in Abionic’s production facilities at EPFL Innovation Park.