Epicore Biosystems has entered into a collaboration with the Middle East Cystic Fibrosis Association (MECFA) to develop its wearable microfluidic platform for cystic fibrosis (CF) monitoring and management.
The initiative focuses on expanding access to sweat chloride assessment across member countries and comparable low- and middle-income territories in Central Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
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Clinical evaluation of the device, named the Chloride Tracker, will be conducted in the region by Marmara University in Istanbul.
Alongside the regional programme, Epicore Biosystems is progressing platform development for clinical trial endpoints and post-treatment monitoring across European and the US markets through internal research and international partnerships.
According to Epicore, standard clinical practice relies on sweat chloride concentration to diagnose CF and track patient responses to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapy.
The traditional procedure requires technicians to stimulate perspiration via pilocarpine iontophoresis, collect fluid in an auxiliary device, and dispatch samples for off-body laboratory evaluation.
In contrast, the Chloride Tracker combines sweat stimulation and chloride sensing within a single wearable sensor and mobile application, allowing real-time sample capture and analysis.
The underlying technology has undergone assessment in multiple clinical studies published in Nature Digital Medicine, PNAS, and Science Translational Medicine.
Epicore Biosystems CEO and co-founder Dr Roozbeh Ghaffari said: “Sweat chloride has served as the diagnostic gold standard for cystic fibrosis for decades, but the way it is measured hasn’t fundamentally changed.
“By integrating stimulation and sensing into a single wearable device, we can make sweat testing and chloride monitoring simpler and more accessible, expanding to outpatient clinics, community health centres, and ultimately in the home.”
Epicore Biosystems originated from the John Rogers Laboratory and the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics at Northwestern University.
Its commercial portfolio features Connected Hydration, the FDA Class I Discovery Patch Sweat Collection System, and the Gx Sweat Patch developed with PepsiCo/Gatorade.
MECFA is a non-profit organisation that promotes early diagnosis, healthcare professional training, specialised care centre establishment, and treatment access advocacy across its member regions.
