Bristol's Fluoretiq names new CMO
A Bristol-based medical technology company fighting the spread of antimicrobial resistance has announced the appointment of its first chief medical officer.
Fluoretiq, which was founded in 2017 and has developed a diagnostic tool called NANOPLEX, named Kasra Saeb-Parsy to the senior role as the company moves a step closer to clinical studies and regulatory approval in the UK and USA.
Saeb-Parsy is a Consultant Urologist at Cambridge University Hospitals and National Urology Advisor for Nuffield Health.
Fluoretiq’s technology platform is transforming the way antibiotic treatments are prescribed at the point of care for diseases such as urinary tract infections (UTIs) and sexually transmitted diseases. It identifies the presence and species of bacteria 200 times faster than sending samples to a lab and waiting days for results to return, enabling doctors to confirm infection within minutes. Doing so can prevent the incorrect and unnecessary prescription of antibiotics.
Antimicrobial resistance is identified by the World Health Organization as a global health and development threat that "requires urgent multisectoral action".
Saeb-Parsy, who is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, has an interest in novel approaches to more rapid diagnosis of diseases and has experience in setting up and leading clinical trials in the field of bladder cancer.
He said: "I am delighted and very excited to be joining the FluoretiQ team as Chief Medical Officer. Antibiotic resistance is becoming a worrying trend worldwide and antibiotic stewardship is now even more crucial in the fight against future infections. The work carried out by FluoretiQ using their NANOPLEX technology platform paves the way for rapid and accurate diagnosis of UTIs and the identification of the causative organism. This allows more appropriate and tailored antibiotic use rather than our current practice of initiating antibiotics whilst awaiting the results of microscopy and culture which can often take up to 72 hours or longer. The clinical and financial benefits of appropriate and correct use of antibiotics for the NHS and healthcare systems worldwide will be immense.”
Neciah Dorh, CEO of FluoretiQ, said: “Kasra’s experience in advising hospitals on urology practice and network of GPs, who are one of the key markets for our future products, are great assets to the development of our business. I am really looking forward to working closely with Kasra to realize the full potential of our game-changing diagnostic tests and to establish FluoretiQ in the urology and infectious disease testing markets.”
