Alveo, Royal GD expand partnership to fast-track on-farm poultry diagnostics

GLOBAL – Alveo Technologies and Royal GD have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership to co-develop rapid molecular diagnostic panels that will revolutionise how poultry diseases are detected and managed globally.

The partnership, revealed in late July, will focus on the joint development of a notifiable disease panel and an avian respiratory panel. 

These tools are designed to identify pathogens that mimic the clinical presentation of avian influenza, a disease that continues to wreak havoc on global poultry populations.

The collaboration builds on the successful launch of the Alveo Sense™ Avian Influenza test, developed using Alveo’s proprietary IntelliSense™ technology. 

This palm-sized, portable molecular testing platform allows for real-time, on-site detection of multiple pathogens, eliminating the need for centralised lab testing and significantly cutting down diagnostic delays.

“Through our long-term partnership with Royal GD, we are both committed to meeting the growing demand for rapid molecular diagnostics at the Point of Need™,” said Shaun Holt, CEO of Alveo. “We feel that great partners bring great possibilities to develop and co-commercialise products to help control the threat of disease.”

A game-changer for poultry health

Unlike traditional diagnostics that may take days or even weeks to return results from centralised laboratories, Alveo’s system delivers lab-quality results in under an hour using a mobile app. 

It enables farmers and veterinarians to make faster, better-informed decisions on interventions such as isolation, vaccination, or culling, critical actions when dealing with fast-spreading diseases like Newcastle Disease, infectious bronchitis, or avian influenza.

“Many poultry diseases present with overlapping symptoms, but treatment decisions depend on knowing the exact pathogen,” said Holt. “By reducing the time and complexity of diagnosis, we’re enabling immediate action to protect both flocks and food security.”

Wim Kieftenbeld, head of Business Development at GD Group, underscored the importance of the partnership: 

“Our relationship with Alveo continues to grow as does the global excitement about the Alveo Sense poultry avian influenza test. We’ve doubled down our R&D commitment, people, funding and lab capacity, to accelerate development of these new panels and get them into the field quickly.”

Royal GD, based in the Netherlands, brings more than a century of veterinary expertise and operates one of the world’s largest animal health laboratories. The combination of Royal GD’s diagnostic know-how with Alveo’s innovative technology positions the duo to fill a major gap in the global poultry sector.

“What started as a single-assay collaboration has evolved into a partnership that will generate meaningful impact for our end users,” said Erik Tyrrell-Knott, Chief Business and Strategy Officer of Alveo. “Together, we are on a mission to enable rapid decision making, timely action, and better outcomes at the point of need.”

The urgency for such tools is growing. With disease risks amplified by climate change, globalisation, and densely packed poultry farms, industry stakeholders are calling for solutions that can detect and differentiate pathogens in real time, before outbreaks spiral out of control.

Alveo believes the expanded portfolio, anchored by its multiplex-capable, mobile-compatible Alveo Sense™ platform, will set a new benchmark for decentralised diagnostics in animal health.

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