The ADAPT solution combines two innovations, a non-invasive nasal sampling device and a new set of biomarkers, to create a novel diagnostic kit that permits earlier, more precise assessment of inflammatory respiratory disease, thereby facilitating better intervention and personalised treatment.

Origins

Inflammatory airway diseases are often diagnosed too late, despite the heavy toll these diseases take. Every year in the EU, respiratory diseases are responsible for 600 000 deaths and 6 million hospital visits, as well as social costs of €200 billion. Asthma, COPD and allergic rhinitis patients would benefit greatly from a more accurate diagnosis of their inflammatory status that is made earlier, before airway damage occurs.

Team

ADAPT is lead by TUM Klinikum rechts der Isar. TUM works with partners from Phadia AB (Thermo Fisher Scientific), Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Universitätsklinikum Aachen and Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi to provide expertise in producing the panel of biomarkers. Vienna Challenge Chamber are leading experts in pollen exposure studies. Hunt Developments (UK) limited and Imperial College London contribute their work on the diagnostic device.

The project

ADAPT will validate an entirely new, non-invasive diagnostic device for topical sampling of chronic airway diseases and combine it with an innovative panel of precision-medicine biomarkers. The solution will allow early detection and differentiation of allergic rhinitis and asthma endotypes, which are responsive to prevention and specific treatment. The innovation opens new avenues in precision medicine, allergy prevention and home care.

The ADAPT solution combines the newly developed biomarker candidate panel with “Nasosorption™ FX·i”, a safe, single-use device for non-invasive nasal sampling. The added value of this concept is that the more sensitive assessment is applicable in clinical practice, even in children or the elderly. The diagnostic test is envisioned as a tool for primary care, and there has also been consideration of developing it further, for home-care settings.

EIT Health supports the validation of this unique innovation and facilitates the bridging of accumulated knowledge in research and commercialisation from world leaders in the immunodiagnostic industry.

Impact

By significantly improving early intervention and targeted treatment, ADAPT will help reverse the natural course of disease and reduce direct and indirect disease-related costs.

Benefits for patients include:

• increased individual quality of life of patients;
• reduced risk of developing a chronic inflammatory allergic disease.

Benefits for society include:

• increased public productivity and competitiveness;
• reduced healthcare and sick-leave costs.

Why this is an EIT Health project

The ADAPT innovation meets the EIT Health goal of improving healthcare. This project is also in keeping with the EIT Health Focus Area of “Care Pathways”, because it promises earlier and more accurate diagnosis of inflammatory airway diseases, and that will lead to better treatment and outcomes for patients.

External Partners

• Vienna Challenge Chamber (VCC)
• Hunt Developments (UK) limited