In the Upper Galilee, in a place less known as Levon, located about 2 km north of Carmiel, operates a unique factory – Salignostics – the result of collaborative work by one professor and four graduates of the Hebrew University, serving as a source of pride during this period and continuing to function despite the challenges and missile.
Salignostics is an Israeli R&D start-up company focused on developing saliva-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) using a lateral flow immunoassay platform. The company has developed the world’s first saliva-based pregnancy test called Salistick, recognised by TIME as one of the Best Inventions of 2023. Salistick is user-friendly, non-invasive and provides fast, accurate results, revolutionising at-home pregnancy testing. It offers a more comfortable experience using saliva, making it convenient for testing anywhere, anytime and by anyone. Salistick has high accuracy and has received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health and the European Union. Salignostics is working on obtaining FDA approval for the U.S. market and has already launched in the UK, Ireland, Sweden and Israel.
It all started at the Hebrew University-Hadassah Faculty of Dental Medicine in Ein Kerem, in a research institute exploring various aspects of dental diagnostics. At the helm of the laboratory researching saliva-related subjects stood Professor Aharon Palmon, Vice President for R&D at the Hebrew University Authority for Research and Development, who oversaw a team of four PhD students who accumulated significant knowledge in saliva research, diagnosis through saliva and the identification of specific symptoms expressed in saliva. Through their combined efforts, they realised the potential impact of their work on the world.
“We understood that saliva is crucial for diagnostics. We gained a lot of knowledge and tools and knew that we could make a difference. The Salistick pregnancy test that we developed was a proof of concept. It wasn’t our initial vision,” says Dr Guy Krief, the Deputy CEO of Salignostics who leads the business aspects of the company, including business development and collaborations, distribution, commercialisation and fundraising. After completing their doctorates and post-doc – one dentist, two biologists and a biotechnologist – in a lab in Hadassah Ein Kerem, they decided to establish a company. “We signed a licensing agreement for all the knowledge we had accumulated and set out on our journey. We raised funds, expanded, set up laboratories and now have spacious offices on the fourth floor of the Bio Park building in Hadassah Ein Kerem. We have a warm corner close to the Hebrew University and we appreciate all the good we received. The university encourages creativity and I don’t think many mentors would have allowed us to go crazy with our ideas like Aharon did,” says Dr Krief.
Salignostics currently employs about twenty workers (in offices in Jerusalem and the factory in Levon) and hopes to expand further. Alongside Guy, three other Hebrew University graduates work in the company, with Prof Palmon being the “father” of it all: Dr Omer Deutsch is the CEO who’s managing the research and development and scientific collaborations; Dr Raluka Cohen, the Scientific Director, is responsible for clinical trials and regulation; and Dr Yoav Neuman, a Senior Researcher, oversees all submissions in Israel and globally, various programs, grants and collaborations that integrate academic and business entities. They are involved in programmes that combine academia and industry.
The conversation with Guy took place during the signing of international distribution agreements for the company’s flagship product, the Salistick pregnancy test based on saliva. “Work on this pregnancy test started a long time ago, but in 2020, with the outbreak of COVID, we developed a rapid antigen test based on saliva called “Salicov” which was approved by both European and Israeli authorities. We participated in a RADx-program in the United States and it’s a project we are proud of because we quickly developed and marketed a finished product. After the COVID phase, we introduced a hybrid coronavirus test which Integrates in one test both Saliva and nasal sampling to reach maximal clinical performances and returned to pregnancy testing. It is an accurate test at a 95% level that can be done at home; it can be performed next to a partner, it is more pleasant and hygienic and the reviews on sales platforms speak for themselves.”
Prof Aharon Palmon at Superdrug, UK
“Last year, we marketed this test: our strategy was to enter two or three markets in the first six months to see how it is received and to check if there are things that need improvement before expanding into a wider market. The first market we entered was the English market and since August 2023, you can find Salistick on the shelves of leading UK retailers such as Superdrug, Tesco, Amazon UK and Boots which choose Salistick as their home brand, as well as in Sweden, Israel and soon in Norway. The product is considered innovative and groundbreaking, to the extent that TIME magazine selected it as one of the top 200 inventions of 2023. The feedback has been very positive and we are pleased with how it is received. Currently, the product is being marketed in Britain, Sweden and Israel and we intend to expand further and establish additional collaborations.”
They don’t stop there and as researchers in saliva, they plan to develop more and more saliva-based diagnostic products to make diagnosis accessible to everyone. They aim to tailor their tests for home use, allowing anyone to use the product without dependence on another factor. Currently, the [GK3] next product in their pipeline is a diagnostic product for Streptococcus A that will make it much easier for doctors, parents and especially children suffering from the disease in winter months. The traditional test involves taking a throat swab, but their product simplifies the process and aims to collaborate with telemedicine companies for remote diagnosis, saving the trouble and risk of doctor visits that could spread infections to different populations.
After the success of Salistick’s distribution, Salignostics plans to deepen its connection with the British market. “Our connection with the English markets is the strongest. We work with the local company Abingdon, which helps us introduce our product to various platforms. There are good reviews and we plan to expand our cooperation to include more products in the future. We believe in technology that changes reality. Blessed is the people who returned from exile and invents inventions that change reality,” concludes Guy.
Salignostics at the Jerusalem Post, 17.7.2024
In the picture above from left to right: Dr Raluka Cohen, Professor Aharon Palmon, Dr Yoav Neuman, Dr Omer Deutsch, Dr Guy Krief