SIRS-Lab

About SIRS-Lab

SIRS-Lab GmbH was a molecular diagnostics company established in 2000 as a spin-off from the Friedrich Schiller University at the Jena Sepsis Competence Center in Germany. The founding team consisted of renowned scientists Prof. Dr. Konrad Reinhart, Director of the Clinic for Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine; Prof. Dr. Eberhard Straube, former Director of the Institute for Medical Microbiology at the University of Jena; and Prof. Dr. Hanspeter Saluz, Head of the Cell and Molecular Biology department at the Hans-Knöll Institute. Their collective expertise in sepsis and molecular biology was foundational to the company's mission to combat the high mortality rate associated with this life-threatening condition.

The company focused on the development and commercialization of diagnostic tests to rapidly identify and monitor severe infections. Its clientele primarily consisted of hospitals and intensive care units. A key technological asset was LOOXSTER®, a proprietary technology designed to enhance the sensitivity of molecular assays by concentrating bacterial and fungal DNA from patient samples. This technology was a core component of their main product, VYOO®, a CE-marked molecular diagnostic test for bloodstream infections. The VYOO® test was designed to provide same-day results, detecting a broad panel of pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes from a whole blood sample, a significant time-saving measure compared to traditional methods that could take several days. In 2012, SIRS-Lab completed a significant 1,000-patient clinical trial for VYOO® across 13 medical centers in Germany, a major milestone intended to support the test's market launch.

In addition to VYOO®, the company was developing SIQNATURE®, a gene expression product to assess the patient's immune response to an infection. Despite its technological advancements and a cooperation agreement with Analytik Jena that began in 2010, SIRS-Lab faced financial challenges. In January 2013, the company initiated insolvency proceedings as it sought further investment to bring its products to market. In May 2013, Analytik Jena AG acquired all of SIRS-Lab's assets, including over 50 patents, and integrated some of its employees, with the stated goal of continuing the development of the sepsis diagnostic portfolio.