Health

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top three infectious diseases, alongside AIDS and malaria, infecting 9.6 million people, and causing the deaths of 1.5 million around the world. The percentage of TB patients is particularly high in the developing countries in Africa and Southeast Asia. HIV is also common among populations in developing countries, and when people contract HIV, their immune systems are adversely affected, making HIV patients much more likely than healthy individuals to develop tuberculosis. Therefore, it is important to provide regular tuberculosis screening for people living with HIV in order to begin TB treatment at an early stage of the disease.

Based on Fujifilm’s own silver amplification technology used in photo development, we have developed an immunochromatography*1 influenza diagnostic system that is capable of detecting the influenza virus at an early stage. In the drive to apply this technology to early detection of various infectious diseases around the world, a joint study started in February 2015 on a rapid diagnostic system for Ebola virus disease. In March 2016, we concluded a joint development contract on highly sensitive rapid tuberculosis diagnostic kits with FIND*2 of Switzerland. In developing countries, the diagnosis of TB is frequently carried out using a microscope to search a patient’s sputum for the presence of the bacteria that causes TB. We have focused on a compound specifically produced by TB that is excreted in the urine. We will work to develop a kit suitable for resource-poor countries that will allow the prompt identification of the presence of the TB bacteria simply by placing a urine sample into a cartridge in a device that does not require electricity. This system simplifies diagnosis for children and elderly persons from whom sputum cannot easily be obtained, and extrapulmonary TB patients (many of whom are affected with HIV) for whom sputum diagnosis is not effective.

This development project has been chosen for funding by the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund), which aims at the development of innovative medicines, vaccines and diagnostic medicines in Japan. Granted a subsidy of 216 million yen, the project is scheduled for implementation from April 2016 to October 2017.

*1 immunochromatography: A diagnostic method in which a colored line indicating positive (antigen present) appears when an antigen-antibody complex, formed when the tested substance (virus or bacteria) in the specimen (nasal swab) drops on to the reagent, bonds with the labeled antibody in the reagent and is captured by the antibody applied linearly on the detection line. Since this method provides rapid results, it is commonly used for the diagnosis of infectious diseases that require immediate medical intervention.

*2 FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics): A non-profit organization headquartered in Switzerland dedicated to advancing the development and adoption of new diagnostic technologies for infectious diseases that are suited for developing countries.