Precision diagnostic tests provider Oxford BioDynamics plc (AIM: OBD) on Wednesday announced the development of a first-in-class blood test for diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), achieving 96% accuracy in clinical studies. The breakthrough, developed in collaboration with the University of East Anglia (UEA), is detailed in a peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

The test, based on OBD's proprietary EpiSwitch 3D genomics platform, identifies distinct DNA folding patterns in blood samples from CFS/ME patients, providing a reliable and rapid diagnostic alternative to existing methods, which often lead to lengthy delays and misdiagnosis. Results showed 92% sensitivity and 98% specificity.

The research was conducted jointly by scientists from UEA, OBD, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Findings expand on insights from the DecodeME genetic study, revealing hundreds of additional molecular changes associated with the disease.

OBD plans to partner with a diagnostic or pharmaceutical company to co-develop or license the test for clinical use. The discovery also offers a potential foundation for a similar diagnostic tool for post-Covid syndrome (long Covid), which shares overlapping symptoms with CFS/ME.

The company's EpiSwitch platform is already used commercially in the UK and US for precision blood tests such as the EpiSwitch PSE prostate cancer test, which delivers 94% accuracy, and the EpiSwitch® CiRT immunotherapy response test. OBD recently partnered with Google Cloud to enhance its EpiSwitch Knowledgebase and AI-powered analytics infrastructure.

Headquartered in Oxford, with facilities in the US and Malaysia, Oxford BioDynamics develops and commercialises precision diagnostic tests across oncology, neurology, inflammation and other therapeutic areas.