Kephera Diagnostics, LLC products

The COVI-QUANT™ test will give you an answer. It represents the latest generation of testing technology that will provide a numerical value for your antibody level, not just yes or no. COVI-QUANT™ is an ELISA test available through Kephera’s CLIA laboratory. Studies show that not all individuals develop a strong immune response after COVID-19 infection or vaccination, especially those who have an immunocompromising condition due to disease, medical treatment, organ transplantation, age, or other causes.  These individuals may continue to be at risk of COVID-19 infection due to a weak immune response, which can be reflected in low antibody levels. Additionally, how long COVID-19 vaccines will protect even healthy people is unknown at this point.  Monitoring antibody levels over a period of months or years can provide a way to gauge the strength of the immune response as it changes.

At Kephera, we are developing rapid tests for infectious diseases using novel immunochemistry in point-of-care format. Our proprietary assay technology is based on principles of particle interaction combined with a simple device, which together enable rapid detection of specific antibodies or antigens associated with the target pathogen. The broadly enabling technology is applicable to a wide range of disease targets and applications. Kephera’s expertise extends from antigen discovery using microarrays and peptide libraries to assay development, clinical studies and validation. We work with some of the leading academic research institutions in the U.S. and internationally, along with researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Kephera is developing a test for Zika virus infection with support from a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Kephera’s Zika project is based on the identification of Zika-specific and Dengue-specific epitopes within the viral genome, from which an immunoassay will be developed in convenient and cost-effective ELISA format, and ultimately translated to point-of-care format.  To this end, we are working in collaboration with medical research institutes in the U.S. and Latin America to analyze the immunological reactivities of patient sera from Zika and Dengue-endemic regions, using a variety of epitope mapping techniques. Epitopes selected based on ability to differentiate viral infections will then be expressed synthetically or as recombinant antigens for assay development.

Kephera is developing a new test for Lyme disease, supported by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  Lyme disease has become the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., with over 300,000 cases per year estimated by epidemiologists.  It is a risk throughout large parts of the U.S., northern Europe and Asia.  Lyme disease presents a diagnostic challenge due to the overlap in symptoms with other disease conditions.  We are collaborating with public health agencies and medical centers that treat Lyme patients to develop a new test based on innovative technology that could improve the accuracy of diagnosis of Lyme disease.

With support from a National Institutes of Health grant, Kephera is developing a new point-of-care test for Chagas disease.  Kephera scientists have identified and are purifying parasite components which promise to yield a highly sensitive and specific test.  Together with our academic collaborators in the U.S. and Latin America, we are evaluating the performance of the test as it is developed in our laboratory.