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EMPE Diagnostics to Unveil CircuLOK Product Range at NATCON 2026, Expanding Access to TB Drug-Resistance Diagnostics
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – 10th of September, 2026 – EMPE Diagnostics AB today announced it will unveil the CircuLOK product range at the 81st National Conference on Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases (NATCON 2026), taking place 1-4 October in Patiala, India. The launch expands EMPE’s molecular resistance-testing portfolio with modular tests, allowing laboratories to select the resistance coverage they need, scale testing to demand, and deploy tests across the diagnostic network.
The CircuLOK range is built around flexibility: laboratories can select the resistance panel that matches their patient population and budget, and expand coverage as needs grow. CircuLOK MDR-TB detects resistance to rifampicin and isoniazid; CircuLOK pre-XDR-TB extends coverage to fluoroquinolone resistance alongside rifampicin and isoniazid; and CircuLOK FLQ-TB provides a standalone reflex-testing option for fluoroquinolone resistance. Together, the three tests give laboratories options ranging from targeted fluoroquinolone reflex testing to broader MDR and preXDR coverage.
The CircuLOK range is manufactured at EMPE’s ISO 13485-certified facility in Hyderabad, in line with the Government of India’s Make in India initiative. The Hyderabad site also houses EMPE’s expanded research, development and clinical validation activities, strengthening the company’s diagnostic capabilities within the market it serves. At NATCON, the CircuLOK products will be introduced for Research Use Only (RUO) while EMPE pursues CDSCO approval and performance evaluation with the ICMR, following the same regulatory pathway as its existing India-approved TB diagnostics.
“Drug resistance in tuberculosis doesn’t stand still, and neither can diagnostics. CircuLOK gives laboratories the flexibility to adapt their resistance-testing coverage as needs evolve, without being locked into a single closed platform. Our goal is to make clinically actionable resistance information available wherever TB is diagnosed.”
– Jan Buch Andersen, CEO, EMPE Diagnostics
Looking ahead, EMPE Diagnostics is developing molecular solutions to extend resistance coverage across the full WHO-recommended BPaLM regimen from a single, accessible testing platform.
About EMPE Diagnostics
Founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2015, EMPE Diagnostics develops accurate and accessible molecular diagnostics and research tools for the global fight against tuberculosis. Building on research originating at Karolinska Institutet, its Pli-RCA (Padlock probe-linked Rolling Circle Amplification) platform combines TB identification with antibiotic resistance profiling to help inform treatment decisions at first diagnosis. Learn more at https://empediagnostics.com/.