Orasure Technologies, Inc. Secures Strategic Distribution Rights and Invests in Sapphiros, A Next-generation Consumer Diagnostics Company

Original from: Orasure Technologies, Inc

OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSUR), a leader in point-of-care and home diagnostic tests, specimen collection devices, and microbiome laboratory and analytical services, today announced it is leading the Series B financing and has entered wide-ranging strategic distribution agreements with Sapphiros, a privately held consumer diagnostics portfolio company based in Boston, and certain of its related entities. Sapphiros was conceived in 2020 by experienced healthcare executive Namal Nawana and launched along with leading global investment firm KKR in 2021. The company has since developed innovative capabilities including novel sample collection, next-generation detection systems, computational biology, and printed electronics to help consumers access diagnostic results.

Through this strategic relationship, OraSure expects to be able to offer a more comprehensive range of low-cost diagnostic tests and sample management solutions to its customers globally. OraSure has secured exclusive distribution rights to key products in Sapphiros’ development pipeline that align with and enhance OraSure’s existing areas of expertise, including self-collected blood samples and diagnostic tests for sexually transmitted infections, respiratory conditions, and other diseases.

“Our partnership and investment in Sapphiros significantly expands and accelerates our product and innovation pipeline. It also advances our vision to improve the access, quality, and affordability of healthcare, including addressing unmet needs in the growing consumer diagnostic market,” said Carrie Eglinton Manner, President and CEO of OraSure. “We are excited to collaborate with the Sapphiros team to fully unlock the value and benefits of this relationship.”

This partnership connects Sapphiros’ innovation and robust product pipeline with OraSure’s strength in commercial distribution to serve new and existing market segments. It also creates opportunities for further collaboration in co-developing future products and advancing Sapphiros’ novel platforms for next-generation lateral flow devices, break-through molecular technologies, and advanced biosensors. Initial product distribution is expected to begin in 2024, with multiple additional products expected to launch in 2025 and beyond, subject to regulatory approvals.  Distribution of Sapphiros’ products is expected to accelerate revenue growth in OraSure’s core business beginning in 2025.

"Our relationship with OraSure is a significant milestone for Sapphiros, and we are excited to partner with an organization that shares our focus on expanding access to diagnostic insights. We believe OraSure’s existing commercial infrastructure will allow us to quickly and efficiently scale following regulatory approvals to the populations that need them the most," said Mark Gladwell, President and CEO of Sapphiros. "We are looking forward to an innovation-filled future that will have a real impact on global health."

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Source: Orasure Technologies, Inc. Secures Strategic Distribution Rights and Invests in Sapphiros, A Next-generation Consumer Diagnostics Company