Rapidix rapid diagnosis of colon cancer

With the help of science, new methods are emerging to more accurately identify biological markers and improve cancer diagnosis, which improves researchers’ understanding of why and how tumors form, metastases, and other processes of this disease. So, with this clearer information about cancer; Prevention and definitive treatment of its various types will no longer be a dream. Rapidix operates on this basis.

One of these methods is the use of rapid cancer detection kits. These kits are designed to be used in cases where a preliminary screening test result is required for diagnosis. Their use is quick (10 minutes to 2 hours) and easy, and without the need for additional equipment, the results are determined on the same day of the test, which allows timely treatment of patients.

In order to get to know more about this type of business and especially the Rapid X team, which recently succeeded in receiving the selected award at the Campus Summit 2021 event, we talked to Dr. Mahbobe Razaghi.

Mrs. Dr. Rezaghi is a graduate of Doctor of General Medicine from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Doctor of Medical Biotechnology from Tarbiat Modares University, who is the leader of the Rapid X team. To get to know Rapidix, follow Ecomotive’s interview with him.

What is Rapidix and what problem does it solve?

Rapid X (Rapidx), is a rapid diagnostic kit for colon cancer screening. Considering that colon cancer is the second cause of death from cancer in the world and this disease is often asymptomatic until advanced stages; Screening of asymptomatic people by identifying pre-cancerous polyps and cancerous masses in the early stages is considered an effective solution in prevention, early diagnosis and reducing mortality from colon cancer.

What made you decide to tackle this issue?

Due to studying in the field of medicine, I encountered many people who were not willing to undergo a colonoscopy to evaluate the intestine for cancer, even in the presence of suspicious digestive symptoms, and unfortunately, there was no suitable alternative method for initial examination.

The existing screening tests had low accuracy and could not convince the patient to undergo colonoscopy; Because it is an invasive, expensive and time-consuming method and requires the presence of medical centers with the presence of specialist doctors and special advanced equipment, which are not available in most regions of the country.

On the other hand, the incidence of this cancer at the age of less than 40 years is increasing in the country, and my late uncle was one of these people who was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer with liver, bone and brain involvement at the age of 40. Unfortunately, it caused his death.

This was a push for me to investigate the methods of early detection of this cancer, so that perhaps with timely diagnosis, the mortality of this disease, which unbelievably causes the loss of people’s lives in the middle age, and the grief of families, can be reduced. be reduced

For this reason, I decided to undergo a specialized education in the field of medical biotechnology in order to take steps in this direction with the help of biotechnology science, and this project was also determined as the subject of my specialized doctoral dissertation.

Accuracy and mechanism of action Rapidx How is that?

According to the tests carried out on the Rapid X kitThe sensitivity of this product is 86.7% and its specificity is 91.4% is. In total, this kit of 90% accuracy It is used to detect precancerous polyps and cancerous masses in the intestine.

The function of this kit is based on the detection of a tumor marker in a person’s stool sample, which, due to the nature of strip tests, also provides the possibility of sampling and testing in areas without a laboratory, and the result can be seen with the naked eye in just ten minutes. Is.

Has this kit been tested on humans?

The evaluation of the prototype of this kit was done on 50 people referred for colonoscopy to Imam Khomeini Hospital (RA) and the results obtained from the kit were compared with the results obtained from colonoscopy as a diagnostic standard.

The results showed the high accuracy of the kit, especially in identifying polyps compared to existing screening tests that are often unable to identify polyps.

This kit is performed on a small sample of stool that is dissolved in the buffer that comes with the kit and two drops of it are poured on the sample site on the test, and the appearance of the test line within ten minutes is a sign of the presence of a tumor marker in the stool. And there is a high possibility of a person suffering from polyps or colon cancer.

What a vision for production and commercialization Rapidx do you imagine

Due to the much higher accuracy of this kit compared to the competitors in the market, our effort is to allocate at least 15% of the market share of existing screening kits to this product in the next five years, and likewise, in the next ten years, we will be able to Let’s evaluate the high percentage of people who need to be screened for colon cancer, which includes the population over 35 years old.

Also, by developing the product and producing rapid diagnosis kits for other diseases, including other common cancers in the country, to become a reliable brand in the field of producing rapid diagnosis kits.

Who are the people working with you and how was your team formed?

The production of this kit started during the stages of the doctoral thesis and with the help of the supervisor and the consultant, the initial core of the team was formed.

In addition to me, Dr. Maleeha Paknejad, Professor of the Department of Clinical Biochemistry from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Mr. Dr. Mohammad Javad Rasaei, Professor of the Department of Medical Biotechnology from Tarbiat Modares University are also present in our team.

Ms. Dr. Paknejad has a brilliant history in the production of monoclonal antibodies, and Mr. Dr. Rasaei has a lot of experience in the production of rapid diagnostic strip tests and is one of the owners of the factory that produces these kits in relation to other diseases as well.

What is the strength of your team?

In my opinion, the strength of our team is to have a scientific background suitable for the product and the interest and effort of all team members to produce a product with precision and proper performance.

What were the most important challenges you faced?

The production of monoclonal antibody and the accurate determination of the diagnostic limit of the kit were important challenges in relation to the production of Rapidix.

Attracting the right investor for the initial commercial production of the kit was also one of the important challenges in the commercialization process of the kit, which was solved with the help of the Ben Da Lab accelerator.

Do you have a special moment or memory from the product development process?

Obtaining the results consistent with colonoscopy in the evaluation of the kit on the clinical samples of the patients has been one of the memorable moments of the production process and getting the top rank at the Summit campus event has been one of the sweet memories of the commercialization process of this kit.

How did you get the top rank in the Summit campus?

By getting the top rank of this event, I realized that the importance and necessity of using this kit has been noticed by judges and investors as well as other participants, which can be the beginning of a powerful movement for mass production and making this product available for All people should be the target of bowel cancer screening.

Advice Oh you Do you have students of various biology majors who are interested in starting their own business?

The first important issue for these friends is motivation and purpose. It is logical that we need to earn money after completing the course, but it is better that this earning is done in a way that we like.

When we have the motivation to create a product and dream of our own entrepreneurship, the hard days of this path will be passed with a better spirit. In addition, there is a need to choose work topics during studies that can be converted into products.

Therefore, from the time of education, they should pay attention to the selection of product-oriented topics for doing educational projects, so that the result of the years of education is the same as the initial input to start the path of entrepreneurship and production. The last suggestion is that if they succeed in producing a product, they should think about a patent before publishing the article so that they can preserve the commercialization of the product.

The last word?

The important issue in increasing the health of society is culture building and awareness. I hope that by educating and improving people’s awareness about issues such as the importance of screening in the prevention and early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, which places a great burden on the society and the government in terms of material and spiritual, we can contribute to improving the health of the society and save every life. A person is valuable and it is similar to saving the lives of all people.