Fluxergy makes laboratory testing more accessible

To democratize the world of laboratory testing by making tests more accessible and affordable: That is the vision of Fluxergy, a US-based healthcare startup founded in 2011. With the aim of consolidating this project in Europe, Fluxergy Europe GmbH was founded last year in 2021.  

The Mainschaff-based healthcare startup offers a platform with multimodal detection technologies that bring the variety of tests found in central laboratories to the palm of your hand - including molecular tests such as PCR, immunochemistry and chemical tests, as well as microscopic tests such as cytometry. In addition, the platform includes a test card for point-of-need testing. 

This process of our ecosystem startup allows for very comprehensive data to be generated to better understand a disease status or other complex analytical challenges. In addition, the Fluxergy Analyzer platform can detect genes, proteins, small molecules, and cells using the same analyzer - affordably and in an hour or less. 

In an interview with 5-HT, Ralf Bartl, Director Sales and Business Development, provides exciting insights into Fluxergy's work.  

Ralf Bartl, Director Sales and Business Development at Fluxergy Europe GmbH

How would you explain your solution in three sentences to a professional colleague from the 
health sector?

"Fluxergy has developed a multimodal POC platform that can combine the four major laboratory analytical methods, PCR, immunochemistry, chemistry, and imaging, on one test card. The ability to analyze full diagnostic panels in a single test can provide all diagnostic data for evidence-based decisions for treatment or therapy monitoring, within minutes, at the place of need. The short time to result, as well as the cost-effective test design, allow significant savings in the healthcare industry."

What problem motivated you to start the company? 

"POC testing is available on the market for many years, but it didn't really find its way into the practices to make patient visits efficient, therapies personalized, avoid unnecessary drugs, or just reduced costs. We believe that the fast availability of all diagnostic data at the place of need is the key to a modern, efficient healthcare system.

However, the broad range of POC systems from all vendors of different tests results in a zoo of instruments people must handle, which is neither practical nor economic. We provide physicians with just a single POC system, combining the flexibility of laboratory instruments on one open POC platform, which is accessible for all assay providers."

Fluxergy's core technologies (f.l.t.r.): Fluxergy Analyzer, Fluxergy Card and Fluxergy Works

How do you convince a pharmaceutical company, a health insurance company or another potential client to set up a pilot project with you?

"The last years, namely during the pandemic, have shown that the fast availability of diagnostic data is a key to evidence-based decisions. The lockdowns have also increased the acceptance for telemedicine and remote diagnosis. The multimodal POC platform now allows to utilize this trend by adaptation of a broader range of more complex panels than just detecting a single pathogen. Most diagnostic questions require multiparameter tests. 

Pharmaceutical companies can develop tests that monitor a therapy, thus determine the right time and length for a treatment, or the efficiency of the drugs. Panels of multiple pathogens, infectious diseases, and/or the immune status can be determined within minutes.

Insurance companies can benefit from more efficient therapies, reduced cost due to faster recovery of patients receiving immediate and appropriate treatment (no waste of drugs or risk of resistance), reduced costs per test if combined into a single POC test, more efficient hospital processes, preventive monitoring of vital parameters of insured persons (even at home), etc.

Additionally, Healthcare institutions or sports organizations can monitor vital parameters and optimize trainings."

The Fluxergy Card is a disposable microfluidic test card capable of simultaneously running multiple different laboratory tests concurrently, allowing for panels in the future of potentially up to 30 different analytes

Who are your current customers (groups) and who do you want your potential customers to be?

"In the human diagnostics market the Fluxergy Analyzer together with Fluxergy’s test cards and tests are currently used in test centers, pharmacies, service companies, hospitals, etc. Outside the human diagnostics, it is well appreciated in the veterinary market or environmental testing. 
The multimodal open platform finds an increasing interest at assay and reagent manufacturers for the implementation of a broader range of their assays. Particularly the multimodality of the platform, the fast availability of analytical data, and the potential to link with telemedicine applications attracts developers, as it allows yet unseen developments of complex assays supporting customers and patients."

Where do you see yourself in 3 years and how can 5-HT support you?

"We want to become the leading partner for POC solution providers utilizing our open platform with their products. With the ability to generate a broad range of complex digital data within a minute, we want to help improving the healthcare industry making decisions faster, based on sold information, and at lower cost. 
We see the network of 5-HT to the various organizations, institutions, and partners as a solid basis to support our ambitious goals to improve the healthcare market."