ImmunoXpert has received a €2.3m grant from the European Commission to improve and deploy an innovative and accurate blood test that can distinguish between bacterial and viral infections.

The new blood tests were developed by MeMed Diagnostics based in Tirat Carmel, Israel.

Researchers from the company and scientific institutes abroad tested some 1,000 patients and found that the ImmunoXpert blood test could separate immune responses to bacterial infections from those to viral infections.

The developers have said it takes only two hours to get results, when less effective alternatives often take days.

Chief executive officer of MeMed Dr Eran Eden noted that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics is a major international problem.

Tests showed that the device can correctly detect a virus or a bacterial infection in the majority of patients.

Eden said: “It is not perfect and it does not replace a physician’s judgment, but it is better than many of the routine tests used in practice today.

“We are excited by the continued vote of confidence of the European Commission.

“This award will allow us to strengthen our collaboration with clinical key opinion leaders and industry partners, with the goal of further solidifying the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of ImmunoXpert in reducing antibiotic misuse.”

The new grant will facilitate the introduction of ImmunoXpert at additional leading medical centres, with the goal of monitoring the management of 1,200 children with respiratory tract infections, in a collaboration between the University of Milan, Italy; University Hospital Mannheim, Germany; Tecan, Quantify Research, and MeMed.

The two-year award was granted through the Horizon 2020 Fast Track to Innovation Pilot, which recognises outstanding business innovators.