Immunochemical Technology Developed by Anthelos Ltd.

Anthelos Ltd. has developed, with EU support, a new immunochemical technology, which helps to detect cancer and autoimmune diseases more precisely than before, in the framework of a project costing almost HUF 160 million. The company received a conditional non-reimbursable EU grant of HUF 111.46 million for the development.

László Puskás, the head of the biotechnology company based in Szeged and Kübekháza, both in SE Hungary, told MTI that the company, which was founded in 2020, offers special research tools primarily for the early detection and treatment monitoring of infectious and age-related diseases to its partners in the fields of drug discovery and molecular diagnostics.

To this end, he added, they are developing microfluidic methods that exploit the behavior of small volumes of fluids, which is not usual in the macroscopic world, and optical methods to aid testing.

The recently completed development includes the installation of a unique 3D printer capable of printing up to 500,000 colors at micron scale. The equipment can be used to create tiny devices called ‘minilabs’, where capillary systems can perform a variety of reactions on a sample in spatially separated steps.

“The solution will allow diagnostic procedures that are much more sensitive, precise or even complex than current rapid tests," the biologist said, adding that the company has also purchased a special scanner to read the test results from the tiny devices.

In addition to developing so-called diagnostic kits, the printer can also be used to create flexible medical demonstration models, prototypes or special artworks.

“The advantage of Anthelos Ltd. over other 3D printing companies is that, in addition to the technological and IT tools, it has the biological, chemical and diagnostic know-how needed for development," he stressed.

According to publicly available company data, the net sales revenue of Anthelos Ltd, owned by the founding researcher, was close to HUF 455 million in 2021, compared to HUF 92 million in its first – fractional – year of operation. The company's profit after tax was HUF 25 million in 2020 and exceeded HUF 76 million in 2021.