The company’s first product digital PCR system is about to go on the market.
Dap Bio has hatched from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2017, and settled in Jiashan Industrial Park, Zhejiang in August 2018. The company focuses on the independent development of the in vitro diagnostic platform for microfluidics technology. A total of 16 domestic and foreign patents have been authorized and declared, and there are instruments, reagents and chip R & D centers. The chip production plant will also begin mass production in the second quarter of 2020.
According to the company’s co-founder & CEO Zhou Guohui, currently in the in vitro diagnostic industry, there is a common pain point, that is, the patient uses a large number of samples for each test during the examination. The detection sensitivity is not enough, which causes the doctor to be inaccurate in the dosage of the drug in the patient. To this end, Dapp Bio has locked the research and development direction of digital PCR diagnostic systems for medical testing.
Zhou Guohui said, Dap Bio uses microfluidic chip and “water-in-oil” technology to solve the above problems of digitization and sensitivity, changing one result that could only be detected. Into 100,000 data, the results can be digitized and visualized.
Specifically, the digital PCR system launched by Dapp Bio can digitize the current traditional medical test results, and the results can be used for medication guidance or predictive treatment. It is reported that the first series of digital PCR systems developed by itself will be launched in the second quarter of 2020. The product is undergoing CE certification approval. The company will pass in the future selling instruments , Reagents and consumables for system commercialization.
Photo courtesy of the team: Digital PCR system coming soon
It should be emphasized that the digital PCR system has been widely used in many fields such as liquid biopsy and tumor detection in recent years. According to PiperJaffray, the global market for generalized liquid biopsy in 2026 will have a total capacity of approximately 32.6 billion U.S. dollars, including 28.6 billion U.S. dollars in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPT) and 2 billion U.S. dollars in organ transplants. In addition, according to BCC analysis, the market value of liquid biopsy will reach US $ 22 billion by 2020, and China is also expected to have a market of 20 billion yuan.
From the perspective, digital PCR also has quite broad application prospects. At present, more and more players are appearing in this market, including Bio-Rad, Stilla Technologies and Thermo Fisher, etc., as well as domestic Suzhou Ruixun Biological and Beijing Xinyi Biological. Among them, Bio-Rad has the main market share.
Zhou Guohui pointed out that with the launch of products by other companies after 2019, it is expected that the application of microfluidics will flourish in 2020. However, he also pointed out that the current technology of each company is different. In contrast, Dapp Bio’s differentiation is reflected in its products covering high, middle and low-end markets, which can respond to different market needs; in addition, it has the knowledge and production technology of the entire microfluidic industry line, and it is fast in microfluidic new products. It has advantages in R & D, production and cost control.
He also revealed that the company will invest more technology and resources in the development of ultra-sensitive detection equipment platforms, such as single-molecule protein molecule detection, microfluidic chemiluminescence, and POCT instruments, to open up new IVD detection Highly sensitive applications. In addition, Dap Bio is currently conducting a round of A + financing for the production of instruments, reagents and chips to improve the closed loop of the product upstream and downstream; and launch product markets and technology promotion at home and abroad.
Lastly introduce the team. Dapp Bio was co-founded by a number of Dr. Haiguiguo with a cross-disciplinary background. The founding team members graduated from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The University of Hong Kong, Imperial College and other world-renowned universities. Dr. Xiaonan Xu, one of the company’s co-founders, graduated from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has many years of experience in R & D and industrialization of microfluidic chips and instruments. More than 10 years of experienceHe has led the technology development and transformation of many companies.