Lepzi has been awarded a grant from Gates Foundation to develop point-of-care tests for PLGF and sFlt-1, biomarkers used to diagnose preeclampsia in pregnant women. The grant will support development of a dual-biomarker test designed for use in low-resource settings.
Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal deaths, neonatal deaths, and premature births globally. Rates are particularly high in low- and middle-income countries, where access to reliable diagnostics is often limited.
The Lepzi PLGF Test, a point-of-care assay using whole blood, has shown positive results in clinical studies conducted in the UK and Africa, published in peer-reviewed journals. The test is currently being evaluated in the PAPAGAIO Study, an international program spanning five countries.
The grant will support development of an improved dual-biomarker test (PLGF + sFlt-1) designed to work with finger-prick blood samples. The project will also include a next-generation reader designed for low-resource settings.
The reader will be robust at higher temperatures, equipped with a rechargeable battery for use in areas with irregular power supply, and built for affordability and scalability.
