SalivIQ Diagnostics offers the first saliva-based molecular diagnostic test for strep throat, replacing invasive throat swabs with a painless qPCR test that delivers 100% accuracy in as little as 22 minutes. The platform eliminates the need for follow-up throat cultures, enabling clinicians to prescribe antibiotics appropriately during a single patient visit.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Traditional strep throat testing relies on uncomfortable throat swabs that often produce false-negative results, requiring follow-up cultures that take 24-48 hours for confirmation. This delays treatment, increases patient anxiety—especially in children—and contributes to unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, as only 25% of pharyngitis patients actually need antibiotics despite 50% receiving them.
Solution
SalivIQ Diagnostics provides a saliva-based molecular diagnostic test for Group A Streptococcus using next-generation quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology. The test delivers 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 100% accuracy compared to throat cultures, with results available in as little as 22 minutes. By eliminating the need for throat swabs and follow-up cultures, the platform enables point-of-care testing that is painless, non-invasive, and requires no specialized training for clinicians. The saliva collection method improves sampling consistency and patient comfort, allowing healthcare providers to diagnose and treat strep throat during a single visit while reducing unnecessary antibiotic use and lab expenses.
Target Audience
Primary customers are clinics, urgent care centers, pediatric offices, school health clinics, and community healthcare settings that need rapid, accurate strep testing without the discomfort and workflow burden of traditional throat swabs.
Features
- Saliva-based qPCR detection of Group A Streptococcus with 100% sensitivity and specificity validated against throat culture standards
- Results delivered in as little as 22 minutes, enabling same-visit diagnosis and treatment decisions
- Non-invasive saliva collection that eliminates discomfort, gagging, and anxiety associated with traditional throat swabs
- No specialized training required for clinicians, supporting high-volume testing during seasonal spikes
- Point-of-care workflow that reduces follow-up visits, repeat sampling, and unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions
- Validated in a 2024 clinical study of 102 saliva samples collected at James Madison University Health Center