Bremen-based Molzym GmbH, which was venture capital-funded before its acquisition by Gradian Dx Inc in December 2019, announces investment by a family office. The unspecified sum, which the expert in microbial DNA purification for molecular diagnostics expects to receive from an unnamed family office, is said to be in the double-digit million-euro range. In May, the FDA had granted the company the Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD) for the automated MDx platform for the diagnosis of sepsis, joint and implant infections, infective endocarditis and bacterial meningitis - so far, the system has been CE-marked but not yet FDA-approved. The injection of fresh capital will be used for the company's international business expansion, which has intensified since 2020, in particular for market entry and expansion in the USA and China as well as the expansion of the company's presence in Europe. In addition, the funds will be used for the launch of the diagnostic test "AutoSepT", which targets the sepsis market and provides results directly from the sample within only three hours.

Gabriel Tirouflet, CEO of Molzym and Gradient, commented: cFor the first time since its creation, Molzym gathered the financial means to achieve its ambitions. With MolYsis™, the only validated microbial DNA isolation technology, Molzym has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a reference for both broad-spectrum PCR and NGS sample preparation. The future of the company is built on these two pillars.” Veronika Clarici-Fanfule, Chairwoman of the new Supervisory Board, emphasizes Molzym’s unique role in the application of NGS to infectious diseases: “One of the key challenges to sustain and even expedite the impressive growth of NGS and metagenomics in the context of microbial infection diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance detection is the importance of human DNA depletion from clinical samples. This inherent market need represents a tremendous opportunity to Molzym and its MolYsis™ technology. The new financing round will enable the company to leverage its unique position to penetrate this market and establish itself as one of its key player".

Molzym’s flagship technology, MolYsis™, allows for pure microbial DNA extraction to enhance the direct molecular detection and identification of up to 1,300 bacteria and fungi, from a great variety of clinical samples, in just one protocol. With its new strategy of offering all-inclusive packages and leasing solutions of the automated SelectNA™plus instruments and Micro-Dx™ diagnostic kits (broad-range 16S/18S PCR), Molzym enables any hospital and private laboratory to rapidly identify common and rare causes of infections, allowing faster and targeted therapy.