When a patient presents with a bacterial infection, doctors often have to prescribe an antibiotic before laboratory tests determine which specific drug will be effective. The standard sensitivity test requires 24 to 48 hours to identify the bacteria sensitive to the antibiotic in the patient's sample, so the initial prescription, including dosage, is often based on assumptions.
Such assumptions can have serious consequences that extend beyond the first few days of treatment. Using antibiotics unnecessarily or excessively contributes to the development of antimicrobial resistance, which reduces the effectiveness of drugs against bacteria.
Attox Research Laboratories, based in Chennai, is working on creating a device capable of reducing the waiting time for this analysis. Their main product, Bactolizer, is designed to identify the effective antibiotic and correct dosage from a list of 15 drugs in approximately 30 minutes or within two hours.
Attox was founded in 2023 by Clement, Sugant, and Senthil. Clement holds an MBA and has over 18 years of experience in startups and organizational management. Sugant received a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree and trained under Senthil, who holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry and has over 20 years of experience in teaching and research.
Clement noted: 'Ideally, we want the first antibiotic to be the right antibiotic.' The team, consisting of 10 people, is located in Chennai and operates in a lab in Erode. Attox is housed in the Kongu TBI and IIM Bangalore incubator and has gone through the ATMAN 3.0 acceleration program from IIT Bombay.
Bactolizer consists of two components: a signal processing unit and a disposable electrochemical cartridge. The patient sample is placed in the cartridge, which is then loaded into the device. A specialized algorithm compares the electrical responses recorded at the beginning and end of the test to determine which antibiotic is effective and at what dosage.
According to Attox, Bactolizer has achieved 94% accuracy and complies with CDSCO standards. Sugant added: 'We are working to increase the accuracy to over 97%, and this is an ongoing process.'
Bactolizer is a standalone unit intended for hospitals. It costs about 40,000 rupees, and each test cartridge costs 500–600 rupees, paid by the hospital. Attox warns that the device price may change as the product develops.
Attox competes with both global and Indian players, including Roche Diagnostics from Switzerland and the Indian company Ourlife Biolytic Solutions. Clement believes that traditional laboratory testing methods remain the closest competition.
Currently, Attox has not yet launched Bactolizer to the market or generated revenue. The company must obtain CDSCO approval before it can sell the device and is working towards this through clinical trials. The company has a preliminary patent, and the trials are expected to help secure a final patent.
The company is starting trials involving about 10,000 patients and plans to complete them by next year. Around March of this year, Attox raised 1 crore rupees in pre-seed funding led by TIH-IIT Bombay with participation from business angels. About two years ago, it received a grant of 7 lakh rupees from the Ministry of Science and Technology through Kongu TBI.
In the next six months, the startup aims to raise a seed round of 5 crore rupees to fund its go-to-market plan. The company also hopes to reduce Bactolizer's testing time, possibly to one hour, with support from mentorship, regulatory guidance, and manufacturing support from TIH-IIT Bombay.