LONDON, June 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Following a decade of developments, and entries from more than 250 teams around the world, including 11 from the U.S., the $10m (£8m) Longitude Prize on AMR has been awarded by Challenge Works (part of innovation agency Nesta) to the PA-100 AST System from Sysmex Astrego.

The Longitude Prize on AMR launched in 2014 – funded by Nesta – to incentivize the creation of new diagnostic tests that, in a matter of minutes, can identify whether an infection is bacterial, and if so, the right antibiotic to prescribe to slow the spread of antibiotic resistant infections. The goal is to replace the 2-3 day lab test process that doctors and patients must currently endure, and end “just in case” prescribing that is prevalent as a result which promotes the development of antibiotic resistance.