Canadian regulators boost lab firm

Lakewood Ranch-based RPS Diagnostics Inc. received approval from Canadian health department regulators for FebriDx, an in-office test that uses a fingerstick blood sample to identify an immune response to acute respiratory infection.

The Health Canada medical device license allows RPS to sell FebriDx across Canada, according to a statement. The test is also available for sale in Europe but has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Acute respiratory infections are often contagious and are associated with flu-like symptoms. The RPS device is disposable after a single use and can show results in 15 minutes, the company says.