Imspex Diagnostics and Credence Genomics sign strategic agreement to advance infectious disease genomic testing across the UK and Ireland

Imspex Diagnostics Ltd has signed a strategic distribution agreement with Credence Genomics Holdings Pte. Ltd. in October to advance genomic infectious disease testing across the UK and Ireland. The agreement establishes a commercial route to market, with Bactfast® and Fungifast® prioritised for clinical validation in Wales and Scotland.

The agreement marks a major step in Imspex’s expansion into genomic diagnostics and positions Wales as a base for advancing clinical evaluation and market introduction. Traditional laboratory cultures can take days to deliver results. The partnership aims to equip clinicians with faster, actionable genomic information to support targeted treatment decisions and antimicrobial stewardship.

Imspex is engaging with NHS organisations and genomics stakeholders in Wales and Scotland to advance clinical validation programmes for Bactfast® and Fungifast®, scheduled to begin in Q1 2027. The initial validation phase is planned to take one to three months, targeting readiness for the next stage of NHS adoption discussions in Q2 2027. The programmes will assess clinical performance, workflow integration, health-economic value and potential improvements in patient management. Successful validation will provide the evidence base for NHS adoption and procurement decisions, with wider deployment following completion of the applicable requirements.

Credence Genomics’ portfolio includes Bactfast®, Fungifast®, Virfast® and digitalABST®, addressing bacterial, fungal and viral pathogen identification and genomic insights relevant to antimicrobial resistance. Bactfast® and Fungifast® are CE-IVDR marked, providing an established European regulatory foundation for the first validation workstreams. Virfast® and digitalABST® remain on their respective development and regulatory pathways. Imspex and Credence will advance UK market access in line with applicable regulatory requirements.

Dr Vaz Gnanam, Chairman and CEO of Credence Genomics, added:
“Our mission is to make advanced genomic diagnostics accessible where they can make the greatest clinical impact. Partnering with Imspex provides an important opportunity to introduce our technologies into UK healthcare, supporting faster diagnosis, more targeted treatment, better patient outcomes and improved antimicrobial stewardship.”

John A. McKinley, CEO of Imspex Diagnostics, commented:
“This agreement marks an important milestone for Imspex and an exciting opportunity for Wales to lead in the next generation of infectious disease diagnostics. Attending GenomicsConnect 2026 – NHS Genomics & Clinical Integration reinforced the importance of translating genomic innovation into everyday NHS care. With the technologies benefiting from an established European regulatory foundation, we have a lower-risk pathway to NHS validation. Our goal is to enable earlier, more precise treatment decisions that improve patient outcomes and help tackle antimicrobial resistance, while strengthening Imspex’s diagnostic portfolio and international commercial reach.”

Imspex brings experience in analytical diagnostics, clinical technology development and commercial market engagement to the partnership. The companies will advance validation and market development for the initial tests, with the Q1 2027 programmes designed to support the next phase from Q2 2027. Subject to completing clinical validation, regulatory and procurement requirements, the partnership will pursue wider deployment and expand its genomic testing portfolio across the UK and Ireland.