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Avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow test

2nd Jun 2025 07:00

RNS Number : 8575K
Abingdon Health PLC
02 June 2025
 

 

 

 

Abingdon Health plc

("Abingdon Health", the "Group" or the "Company")

 

Avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow test

 

Strategic partnership with Okos Diagnostics to jointly develop and commercialise avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow kits for bovine health and human applications

 

York, U.K. 2 June 2025: Abingdon Health plc (AIM: ABDX), a leading international developer, manufacturer and distributor of high quality and effective rapid tests, announces that it has entered a co-development, manufacturing and commercialisation agreement with Okos Diagnostics B.V. ("Okos"), a Netherlands-based diagnostic company specialising in innovative lateral flow technologies.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Abingdon Health and Okos will collaborate to adapt Okos' prototype avian flu lateral flow test for specific applications in both animal and human health. The partnership will initially focus on two key use cases: bovine health testing via milk samples and human health applications via nasal pharyngeal fluid.

 

The agreement grants Abingdon Health exclusive rights to distribute the final test kits globally, with a profit share agreement between both companies.

 

An April 2025 publication in the Lancet 1 outlined: "The recent emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in dairy cows and humans in the U.S. has raised alarms regarding the potential for a pandemic. Over 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 humans have been affected, including cases of severe disease and the first reported H5N1-related death in the U.S. Sporadic human infections with no known contact with infected animals highlight the possibility of viral adaptation for efficient human-to-human transmission. Concurrently, the virus continues to circulate in wild birds, backyard flocks, and hunted migratory species, further amplifying the risk to humans and domestic animals".

 

Dr Chris Hand, Executive Chairman of Abingdon Health plc, commented: "We are excited to partner with Okos Diagnostics to bring these innovative lateral flow tests to the global market. This collaboration perfectly aligns with our mission to improve health by making rapid tests accessible to all. By combining Okos' excellent work to date on developing prototypes with our scale-up, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialisation capabilities, we're well-positioned to deliver high-quality diagnostic solutions that address these important health needs. Additionally, the state of Wisconsin, USA has already announced that it will begin the of testing of cows' milk for avian flu2 which indicates the rapidly increasing market for this test."

 

Sander Brus, CEO of Okos Diagnostics B.V., commented: "This partnership with Abingdon Health represents a significant opportunity to commercialise our lateral flow avian flu (H5N1) technology across multiple markets. We believe our innovative diagnostic approach to this biomarker, combined with Abingdon's scale-up and manufacturing excellence and global reach, will allow us to bring valuable testing solutions to customers worldwide. We look forward to a successful long-term collaboration."

 

 

(1) Enhancing the response to avian influenza in the US and globally - The Lancet Regional Health - Americas

(2) Wisconsin Begins Bird Flu Testing in Dairy Milk | Wisconsin Ag Connection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enquiries:

 

Abingdon Health plc

www.abingdonhealth.com/investors/

Chris Hand, Executive Chairman

 

Via Walbrook PR

Tom Hayes, CFO

 

Zeus (Sole Broker and Nominated Adviser)

Tel: +44 (0)20 3829 5000

Antonio Bossi / Alexandra Campbell-Harris (Corporate Finance)

Fraser Marshall (Corporate Broking)

 

 

 

Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)

Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or [email protected]

Paul McManus / Alice Woodings

Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0)7407 804 654

 

 

 

About Abingdon Health plc

Abingdon Health Group is a leading med-tech contract service provider offering its services to an international customer base.

 

The Company's CDMO division offers lateral flow product development, regulatory support, technology transfer and manufacturing services for customers looking to develop new assays or transfer existing laboratory-based assays to a lateral flow format. Abingdon Health's CDMO division has the internal capabilities to take lateral flow projects, in areas such as infectious disease and clinical testing, including companion diagnostics, animal health and environmental testing, from initial concept through to routine and large-scale manufacturing; from "idea to commercial success".

 

Abingdon's regulatory services companies, Compliance Solutions (Life Sciences) and IVDeology, provide a broad range of regulatory services to the in vitro diagnostic and wider medical device industry, to support customers in bringing products to market across a range of territories including the USA, EU and the UK. Our consultancy services range from design, implementation and maintenance of quality management systems, preparation of technical files for regulatory approvals, part-time and interim management support, auditing both internal and external, management reviews and presentations, training and mentoring. The Company's subsidiary, Abingdon Analytical Ltd, offers analytical testing and performance evaluation to generate the required technical and data for regulatory approval.

 

Abingdon Health's Abingdon Simply Test range of self-tests is an e-commerce platform that offers a range of self-tests to empowers consumers to manage their own health and wellbeing. The Abingdon Simply Test e-commerce site offers consumers a range of information to support them in making informed decisions on the tests available. In addition, the site provides Abingdon's contract services customers with a potential route to market for self-tests. The Abingdon Simply Test range is also sold through international distributors and through other channels in the UK and Ireland, such as pharmacy chains.

 

Founded in 2008, Abingdon Health is headquartered in York, England.

 

For more information visit: www.abingdonhealth.com

 

About Okos Diagnostics B.V.

Okos Diagnostics B.V. is a Netherlands-based diagnostic company specializing in the development of innovative lateral flow test technologies. The company focuses on creating advanced diagnostic solutions for both human and animal health applications.

Okos originated during the pandemic with the goal of uniting human and environmental health. The company recently launched Measie, a new eco-friendly range of home-use rapid tests. Okos collaborates with academic medical centres and global partners to ensure rigorous clinical validation and real-world impact. Backed by a growing portfolio of proprietary technologies and international IP, Okos is emerging as a leading innovator in the diagnostics space.

Okos' strong network in the United States raised early concerns about the rising threat of H5N1, prompting a rapid and targeted development effort. Since then, its avian flu lateral flow tests have been validated in multiple prominent laboratories worldwide, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and readiness for global deployment.

Okos Diagnostics, founded in 2022, is in Leiden, the Netherlands.

 

For more information visit: www.okosdiagnostics.com

 

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