Rapid serum blood collection technology developed by UQ start-up company Q-Sera has been incorporated into a tube called VenoJect II RAPClot by leading medical device company Terumo Corporation and rolled out to patients in January.
Q-Sera was founded by UniQuest , the commercialisation company of UQ, in 2012 and conducted its research at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology .
The new pathology collection tube was based on intellectual property from Emeritus Professor Martin Lavin, the late Dr Paul Masci, Emeritus Professor John de Jersey, Dr Goce Dimeski, Dr Julie Phillips and Dr Kong-Nan Zhao, who identified venom‑proteins from snakes including coastal taipans capable of clotting blood quickly and reliably.
Their work led to a new approach for generating high‑quality serum for pathology testing, including samples from patients treated with anticoagulants such as heparin which are extremely challenging to clot.
Clotted blood is essential to the production of high-quality serum used in pathology testing. Blood that hasn't clotted effectively can lead to an inaccurate diagnosis, treatment delays or repeat testing.
Q-Sera CEO Michael Grant said the blood collection tube technology would benefit patients and the health care system in Japan.
"Q-Sera is pleased to announce the first launch of its patented technology by Terumo Corporation in the Japanese market," Mr Grant said.
"Japan has a history of innovation in blood collection tubes with Terumo Corporation a leader in this sector and together we look forward to launching this next-generation tube technology to benefit patients and the health care system."
Melbourne-based Q‑Sera developed recombinant ecarin (RAPClot), the clotting agent now used by Terumo in its Venoject RAPClot blood collection tubes.
UniQuest CEO Dr Dean Moss said the launch underscored the long‑term research commitment essential for converting university science into products that help people.
"Transforming a discovery from the lab into a product used in healthcare takes patience, persistence and strong partnership," Dr Moss said.
"Seeing UQ research, backed by investment from the UniQuest Extension Fund, now being used in Japan is a powerful demonstration of how long‑term investment in university innovation delivers global impact."
Terumo Director of Essential Medical Products, Wataru Ninokura said it was a great pleasure to be able to directly contribute to improving the accuracy of diagnosis for patients in Japan.
"RAPClot tubes are a true innovation in blood collection and have the potential to dramatically improve issues such as coagulation time, heparinised blood and fibrin strands in tests with serum," Mr Ninokura said.
Q-Sera's lead active protein, RAPClot, is manufactured recombinantly at commercial scale by Bora Biologics.
Q-Sera is supported by investment from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRF) managed by Brandon Capital Partners, Uniseed, CSIRO, the UEF, and Austrade.
Terumo has exclusive rights to the technology in Japan, with Q-Sera actively working to secure other markets.
