Avisa Breath Test in UNM, Detroit trial

Avisa Pharma Inc. of Santa Fe is going for a second round of investments to fund continuing development of its Breath Test device that detects a wide range of respiratory infections.

The device is being tested in emergency departments at the University of New Mexico medical centers in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho and the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, said Avisa CEO David Joseph.

Results of the study are due in December, according to an Avisa news release. The next phase is a larger trial involving 10 to 15 sites and, if successful, approval for commercial use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Joseph said. If all goes as planned, the device could be approved for use by 2022, he said.

Meanwhile, Avisa Pharma is looking to raise $15 million to keep BreathTest on track to FDA approval, Joseph said.

The UNM and Detroit trials are testing the device’s ability to detect pneumonia pathogens in patients being treated in emergency departments. Pneumonia is the leading cause of infectious disease-related hospitalization in the United States.

Pneumonia is treated using broad spectrum antibiotics, Joseph said. However, overuse of those antibiotics results in pathogens becoming more resistant. The BreathTest device is a more accurate test and allows clinicians to use those antibiotics more sparingly, he said.