Q5 Healthcare, a company which specialises in infectious disease diagnosis, is to prepare for a commercial launch after moving into new premises in Cardiff.

Insider Media reports Q5’s first product could be launched within twelve months.

The company was set up in 2013 by Dr Raj Rao. Raj Rao, along with Q5’s head of clinical development Dr Helen Hughes, was previously part of BioDynamics Research.

Q5 Healthcare is developing a suite of diagnostic test kits for use by GPs and clinics, which can be used by medical professionals worldwide to identify infections at the point of care without having to send samples for laboratory testing.

Dr Michael Graz, managing director, said “Our main activity at the moment is in the fields of women’s intimate health and acute systemic infections, where the incorrect diagnosis of infectious diseases that frequently occurs often results in the wrong treatment being prescribed, and possibly poor treatment outcomes. By identifying the infection while the patient is still in the clinic or GP’s surgery, not only can the correct medication be prescribed there and then, but this could mean that the patient does not have to return to the clinic unless the treatment is unsuccessful. The other major benefit that our technology will provide is the reduction in the number of samples that are sent to laboratories, freeing up those workers to focus on potentially more critical issues. Ultimately, this will reduce the costs of diagnosis and treatment that are currently being borne by the NHS.”

The company’s first device patent has recently reached international publication stage, and the product’s launch is planned for early 2019. The aim is then to complete the development of at least four other diagnostic products that are currently in the pipeline.