Abingdon Health: York-based firm announces partnership to develop lateral flow test for avian flu
York-based Abingdon Health has announced that it has entered a partnership to develop a new lateral flow test for avian flu.
In an announcement issued to the London Stock Exchange, Abingdon Health said it had entered a co-development, manufacturing and commercialisation agreement with Okos Diagnostics B.V, a Netherlands-based diagnostic company specialising in 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 applications in both animal and human health.
Dr Chris Hand, executive chairman of Abingdon Health plc, said: "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.”
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.
The state of Wisconsin, USA, has already announced that it will begin the testing of cows’ milk for avian flu, in a move Abingdon said indicates the rapidly increasing market for this test.
Sander Brus, CEO of Okos, said: "This partnership with Abingdon Health represents a significant opportunity to commercialise our lateral flow avian flu 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."
In March, Abingdon Health said it now has the foundations in place to build a “sustainably profitable company”, as the firm announced widening losses in the final six months of 2024.
The company posted a pre-tax loss of £2.6m for the six months ending 31 December – up from a loss of £1.2m in the same period the year prior – but said that it now expects to break even next year.
Abingdon also posted revenue of £3.1m, a 28 per cent uplift from the final six months of 2023.
Speaking as the company announced its results, Dr Hand said: "Following some temporary headwinds during H1 2025, we were pleased to see growing contract momentum towards the end of the period and into H2.
"We believe we now have the foundations in place to build a sustainably profitable company.”