GAF®

Eradicate formalin—a carcinogenic, mutagenic, and neurotoxic substance—from hospitals, research centers, and laboratories, in order to replace it with a safe fixative.

Description

The goal of the Addax Biosciences project is to eradicate formalin—a carcinogenic, mutagenic, and neurotoxic substance—from hospitals, research centers, and laboratories, in order to replace it with a safe fixative. For this reason, Addax has developed and patented GAF® (Glyoxal Acid Free), an innovative product that offers fixation efficiency comparable to or greater than formalin across the entire range of applications, while being non-carcinogenic. The gradual replacement of formalin will generate significant benefits for the health of workers and the environment, without compromising diagnostic accuracy, thereby protecting patients. GAF® ensures the accuracy of diagnoses without exposing healthcare personnel to the risk of developing occupational diseases. It is a patented product, CE-marked, FDA-approved, and has undergone numerous independent validation trials, both national and international, demonstrating its effectiveness.

Project and Acronym: GAF®
Innovation Cluster to contact: BioPmed
Topics: Substitution of carcinogenic substances from workplaces
Acknowledgements received: in 2017, Addax Biosciences was awarded the Unicredit Start Lab prize at the National Innovation Award (15th edition), an important Italian competition. Additionally, in 2018, the Addax project was selected as a finalist for the Italian Innovation Award and received the Special Award from PwC, Start-up & Emerging Companies. Also in 2018, Addax Biosciences won the Life Science and Social Innovation – Start Cup awards, promoted by the Italian Association of University Incubators and Business Plan Competition, aimed at spreading the culture of innovation and local development. Furthermore, the project “GAF – Towards a Hospital Without Formalin” was realized with the support of the Piedmont Region and its Investment for Growth and Employment “Research, Technological Development, and Innovation” for the creation and consolidation of regional innovative start-ups. Addax was awarded as the best start-up in the health economy sector during the first edition of the Innovation and Research Award 2020 (IR20), the official and most prestigious recognition from the Piedmont Region for excellence in innovation and research.Moreover, at the European level, under the Horizon financial instrument, Addax was awarded the Seal of Excellence in 2020, a European quality mark granted by the Commission, and the SME Instrument Project, a financial support for innovation projects that helps them develop and expand in Europe and the rest of the world. Additionally, in 2020, Addax Biosciences participated in the Tel Aviv UniCredit Bootcamp, which selects innovative start-ups that excel in their fields. In 2021, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology – EIT Health – selected Addax as a semifinalist in the Catapult competition for the biotech category. In this competition, Addax received the Luisiadas Moonshoot award.

Why is it important?

Formalin, despite its recognized toxicity, is still widely used in hospitals as a histological fixative, exposing approximately 1,000,000 healthcare workers within the European Union to a five-times higher risk than average of developing serious forms of cancer. For this reason, the GAF® – TOWARDS A FORMALIN FREE HOSPITAL project has a significant social impact: the innovative reagent proposed by Addax Biosciences helps safeguard the health of medical and healthcare workers who are currently at risk of developing cancer, respiratory diseases, as well as eczema and eye irritations. The gradual replacement of formalin will generate important benefits, not only for the health of workers but also for the environment in which it is disposed of, without compromising the diagnostic accuracy provided to patients through optimal tissue fixation for biopsies at both structural and molecular levels. Additionally, through the replacement process, the sector currently using formalin will also see positive economic impacts due to savings from the elimination of the need for installation and maintenance of fume hoods (which are currently necessary in laboratories to extract carcinogenic vapors) and other devices aimed at partially containing workers’ exposure to the substance, as well as reducing disposal costs that are high due to the toxicity of formalin.

ADDAX BIOSCIENCES SRL
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