Chembio lands $5.7M BARDA grant for portable biothreat test
What's the deal? Chembio Diagnostic SystemsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a US subsidiary wholly owned by France's BiosynexDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, has secured a $5.7 million award from BARDA (Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority), an agency of the US Department of Health and Human ServicesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The 20-month program will fund development of the DPP Biothreat Panel, a portable point-of-care test designed to detect plague, tularemia, and melioidosis.
What's the endgame? Chembio will use its proprietary Dual Path Platform technology to build the three-target test and seek FDA clearance. The device pairs with a portable reader meant to deliver objective results in field or resource-limited settings. The panel remains in development and is not approved for sale.
Why now? The award fits BARDA's broader push for rapid, deployable diagnostics against biological threats. It builds on Chembio's earlier BARDA-backed work on Zika and COVID-19.
How big is the grant? At $5.7 million, the award ranks in the top 9% of all US health-sector grants on record, per our funding data. "This program will apply our experience in rapid multiplex diagnostics to pathogens of serious public-health and biodefense concern," said Javan Esfandiari, Chembio's president and chief science and technology officer.
What could go wrong? The grant is earmarked for product development, so it offers little near-term relief for the parent. Biosynex's first-half 2026 revenue fell 10.4% year over year, and the group only exited court-supervised safeguard proceedings in October under a debt-repayment plan.
The signal: For Biosynex, the win is a development milestone rather than a commercial catalyst — a sign of renewed footing in biodefense diagnostics as the parent works to stabilise its finances.
Read more: marketscreener.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
