SARS-CoV-2, the bird flu A(H7N9), MPox – several new and worrying diseases have appeared over the past years which are a great challenge to public health. In order to protect the population, the responsible health authorities have a range of measures at hand to fight and prevent epidemics. Besides the development of vaccines and medications, laboratory diagnostic products play an important role, e.g. to monitor the spread of infectious diseases.
Panadea and EUROIMMUN are two companies with one common important goal: The development, production and distribution of test systems for the detection of the pathogens causing such emerging diseases, that can be applied to monitor infection events.
Global challenges for the public health
While the public may have only recognised emerging diseases and neglected tropical diseases (NTD) as a global challenge since the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been a focus of research and health institutions since before SARS-CoV-2 appeared.
Emerging diseases are infectious diseases in humans that appear for the first time in a population or have existed before but increase rapidly in incidence or geographic spread. They also include diseases that are caused by newly occurring pathogens, e.g. due to mutations of the pathogen’s genetic material. Some originally stem from the animal realm and, due to genetic changes, are suddenly able to infect humans (zoonoses). Climate change strongly favours the occurrence of emerging diseases. One important reason for this is the increasing spread of vectors, mainly mosquitoes or ticks, driven by warmer temperatures. There are also indications that increased contact between mammals (that previously had no contact), e.g. due to migration into cooler climates, increases the risk of the spread of novel diseases.
Approximately 90% of all preventable deaths are caused by neglected tropical diseases (NTD) in developing countries. NTS often get little public attention since they occur mainly in poor populations, e.g. in conflict zones, or in regions that are affected by natural disasters. There is often only little funding available to improve healthcare. However, worldwide tourism makes NTD a topic of global relevance: Travellers who get infected in these regions may bring tropical diseases to industrialised countries.
In this context, the “One Health Approach” describes an integral and interdisciplinary approach to the issue, aiming at improving global health by taking into consideration the links between humans, animals, and their shared environment.
In 2015 the WHO R&D Blueprint was created to serve as a global strategy and a preparation plan to accelerate the development and availability of medical measures, e.g. diagnostic tests, during epidemics. It is based on the prioritisation of pathogen to channel research activities. Up to date, the blueprint has played an important role in fighting pandemics of different scales, such as the ones caused by Ebola or Zika virus or SARS-CoV-2.
“We are fully aware of the importance of One Health for the prevention of emerging diseases. We know that the diligent surveillance of antibodies in humans and host animals is the key to understand where viruses spread and to guide healthcare system to adapt suitable measures to prevent or reduce the spread of these pathogens. We are confident that our test systems make an important contribution to the fight against neglected and emerging infectious diseases which have been made a priority by the WHO.”
Dr. Yang Liu, CEO of Panadea Diagnostics GmbH
Panadea and EUROIMMUN – working together for a superior goal
The German biotech company Panadea Diagnostics GmbH with Headquarters in Hamburg has specialised in the development of high-quality tests for tropical and emerging infectious diseases. The spin-off of the Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) distributes serological ELISA kits for the detection of IgG and IgM antibodies against exotic infectious pathogens that appear in the priority list of the WHO, e.g. Lassa virus (LASV), Marburg virus (MARV) and Ebola virus (EBOV).
EUROIMMUN Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG has more than 35 years of experience in laboratory diagnostics and develops and sells diagnostic complete solutions for infectiology, not only test kits, but also the corresponding instruments and software for their automation. Its portfolio encompasses serological tests like ELISAs, ChLIAs and immunoblots for the detection of antibodies against known pathogens such as dengue virus (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV) and many more. It also includes PCR-based direct pathogen detection, e.g. for SARS-CoV-2.
“Owing to the cooperation with local health authorities and research institutions, we are always aware of new and/or urgent infection events and can provide suitable solutions to support the diagnostics of infectious diseases all over the world. Our in-house development and production of diagnostic test systems enable us to react promptly to both small and large infection outbreaks and to support national and international health authorities when and wherever required.”
Dr. Babett Menge, Deputy Head of Department ELISA Infection Serology at EUROIMMUN
Both companies agree: The fight against the global threat posed by emerging diseases and the concept of One Health require that diagnostics are easily accessible worldwide. The ongoing fruitful exchange and a shared, conscientious outlook in the same direction are already reflected in joint scientific publications, among others on the emerging diseases pathogens SARS-CoV-2 and CCHFV. 1,2 Both companies look forward to tapping the full potential for synergies in the future.
“At Panadea, we address the critical need for reliable tests to monitor and protect against outbreaks and epidemics of high-risk, impactful infectious diseases. Establishing a long-term partnership with BNITM marks a significant milestone in our journey, one we are wholeheartedly committed to. We are honoured to have BNITM as our partner, and together, we will leverage this technology to develop, rigorously test, and supply high-quality testing products.
In addition to our academic partners, we are also excited to synergize with our industrial partner, EUROIMMUN, who shares our vision of innovation to meet the substantial needs in the field of tropical infectious diseases.”
Dr. Yang Liu, CEO of Panadea Diagnostics GmbH
“We are proud to develop diagnostic solutions for emerging infectious diseases and maintain an intensive scientific exchange with innovative partners such as Panadea. This allows us to react promptly to new health threats and focus on the needs of different target groups. Together, we create a strong network that connects research, technologies and expertise in order to provide the best solutions for precise diagnostics.”
Fabian Lindhorst, Head of Division Infection Serology at EUROIMMUN
- Von Possel R et al. Performance analysis of serodiagnostic tests to characterize the incline and decline of the individual humoral immune response in COVID-19 patients: Impact on diagnostic management. Viruses 16(1):91 (2024).
DOI: 10.3390/v16010091.
- Emmerich P et al. Comparison of diagnostic performances of ten different immunoassays detecting anti-CCHFV IgM and IgG antibodies from acute to subsided phases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. PloS Negl Trop Dis 15(3):e0009280 (2021). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009280.
The products of Panadea Diagnostics GmbH are for research use only, not for in vitro diagnostics.