Alveo Technologies and Royal GD Form Long-Term Partnership to Expand Joint Offerings for Rapid, Molecular Animal Diagnostics at Point-of-Need

Their first co-developed product, Alveo Sense™ Poultry Avian Influenza was introduced in the EU in late 2024 and is now expanding into the Middle East and Northern African markets

, /PRNewswire/ -- Alveo Technologies, Inc. (Alveo), a leader in molecular sensing and diagnostics with its proprietary IntelliSense™ molecular detection technology, today announced that it has formalized a long-term, ongoing partnership with Royal GD, a leading organization in the field of animal health, with over 100 years of experience, to expand their joint offerings.

Alveo and Royal GD have worked as close collaborators on the development of the Alveo Sense™ poultry avian influenza test. And while avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is top of mind globally, containing future emerging diseases and ensuring the safety of our food supply will require a range of fast, precise diagnostics that only the Alveo Sense platform can enable. The partnership will meet the accelerating demand for rapid, portable, molecular diagnostics by focusing on the co-development and distribution of products across multiple species including an expanded poultry offering as well as cattle, swine and equine.

Royal GD will act as a development and global distribution partner for the newly launched Alveo Sense Poultry Avian influenza test. As part of the agreement, Alveo and Royal GD have completed development and validation of the poultry diagnostic for the Middle East, which they started shipping to customers in the region late last month. Alveo introduced the test to customers in the European Union in October of last year.

Alveo's decentralized molecular diagnostic test detects and differentiates between Avian Influenza Type A, H5 and H7 or H9 with >99% specificity across all targets and 98.3% sensitivity for H5. The Alveo Sense avian influenza test works on both cloacal and oropharyngeal samples to deliver precise results in under 45 minutes. Using Alveo's secure Alveo Vista™ portal, geotagged results are instantly uploaded to the cloud, giving public health authorities real-time insights into viral outbreaks, empowering rapid containment measures.

Avian influenza, particularly the H5N1 strain, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds globally, resulting in significant economic losses. As of September 2024, over 280 million birds have died worldwide due to the virus, including both culling and natural deaths. In the United States, the outbreak has led to approximately 40 million domestic bird deaths, with economic costs estimated between $2.5 billion to $3 billion.

In Europe, between October 2021 and September 2022, around 48 million birds were culled across the UK and EU due to avian flu outbreaks. Japan has also suffered, with a record 10 million birds culled as of January 2023. These outbreaks have not only affected poultry populations but have also led to significant economic losses in the poultry industry, including increased egg prices and disruptions in supply chains. Adjusted for inflation, egg prices in the United States are higher than they have been in 45 years.

Prior to Alveo's diagnostic test, confirming an avian influenza infection in poultry required shipping and transport of potentially hazardous samples to a central lab for processing and then waiting days - even weeks - to receive a result, causing costly delays and hampering effective countermeasures to stop the virus' spread.

Vaccination can protect birds from experiencing disease, but they can still harbor and spread the virus, and without a rapid, accurate test, there is no way to determine whether vaccinated birds are infected prior to shipment. 

"Alveo Sense facilitates a DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccination strategy when used in conjunction with the administration of inactivated avian flu vaccines. Successful application of inactivated avian flu vaccines in the absence of field virus infection will yield a negative result. In this way, the avian flu status of a flock can be clearly identified," said Wim Kieftenbeld, business development at Royal GD. "This partnership has already developed a first-of-its-kind rapid molecular diagnostic for avian influenza in poultry, and we're just getting started. There are many other animal diseases for which producers, veterinarians and authorities desperately need a precise, rapid diagnostic."

"Together, Royal GD and Alveo are addressing current critical needs in animal health, with an eye towards future challenges," said Erik Tyrrell-Knott, chief business and strategy officer of Alveo. "We're already transforming diagnostics for avian influenza, and not just H5N1. The diagnostic panel also detects Type A and H7 or H9 in poultry, eliminating lab bottlenecks and providing near real-time data to stakeholders about current infections. Our aim is to do the same for other livestock and infectious diseases."

Alveo and Royal GD will showcase the Alveo Sense Poultry Avian Influenza test at VIV Asia in Bangkok March 12-14. For more information on Alveo and its diagnostic platform, visit https://www.alveotechnologies.com/royalgd.

About Alveo  
Alveo Technologies is the first company to make molecular detection and diagnostics universally accessible – on the farm, in the field, in the clinic, or in the manufacturing plant – helping prevent or significantly limit the destructive impact of viruses, fungi, bacteria, and other pathogens by detecting earlier at the Point of Need™. Alveo's portable, multiplex-capable diagnostic platform employs IntelliSense™, its patented method of direct electrical sensing of nucleic acid amplification to provide affordable, rapid, and accurate results. By enabling early pathogen detection, Alveo helps manage global health, food security, and supply chain resiliency by providing actionable insights at lightspeed. Know Sooner, Act Faster™ with Alveo. For more, visit: https://www.alveotechnologies.com/.

About Royal GD
Royal GD (Gezondheidsdienst voor Dieren) is a leading animal health organization based in the Netherlands, specializing in disease monitoring, diagnostics, and veterinary research for livestock and poultry. Royal GD provides laboratory services, on-farm consultancy, and disease prevention programs to improve animal health and productivity worldwide.

Regarding Alveo Sense technology, Royal GD collaborates with Alveo Technologies. Royal GD's diagnostic and veterinary expertise is a unique combination with Alveo's technology platform. This technology enables fast and accurate diagnosis in the field, reducing reliance on centralized labs and improving disease control measures. Alveo Sense is designed to provide early detection, faster decision-making, and better outbreak management in the poultry industry.

CONTACT
Jeff Miller
Market Street Group
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[email protected]

SOURCE Alveo Technologies