Karius Launches Karius Focus™ | BAL: A Comprehensive and Timely Solution for Diagnosis and Management of Suspected Infectious Pneumonia and Other Lung Infections Among Immunocompromised Patients

Karius®, Inc., a leader in metagenomic sequencing for infectious disease diagnostics, announces the launch of Karius Focus | BAL, a microbial cell-free DNA test that helps physicians accurately identify the pathogens causing pneumonia and other lung infections. The product became available nationwide on April 28, 2025.

“Lung infections are common and often lethal among immunocompromised patients yet current diagnostic tests fail to identify a specific infectious cause in most cases,” says Dr. Brad Perkins, Chief Medical Officer, Karius. “Karius has demonstrated that our plasma-based test (Karius Spectrum™) significantly improves diagnostic yield among immunocompromised patients with pneumonia. We expect the Focus | BAL test to further improve diagnostic yield among immunocompromised patients who undergo bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for suspected pneumonia and other lung infections. The combination of Karius plasma- and BAL-based diagnostic tools, used alone or in combination, should substantially improve care.”

Utilizing the same microbial cell-free DNA technology as Karius Spectrum™, this test is designed to rapidly identify the etiology of lung infections and improve diagnostic yield over standard-of-care testing. With just 1 mL of BAL fluid, Karius Focus | BAL can detect and classify over 500 pathogens associated with lung infections—all within a single day of sample receipt.

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a widely used procedure for evaluating patients with suspected lung infections, particularly in immunocompromised populations. Yet, standard-of-care testing frequently fails to identify the causative pathogen, often requiring multiple tests and leading to delays in care. Karius Focus | BAL addresses these diagnostic gaps by providing clinicians with a single, comprehensive answer—delivered quickly and conveniently.

“Karius Focus | BAL significantly advances pulmonary diagnostics by integrating rapid turnaround, extensive pathogen coverage, and clinical accuracy,” said Alec Ford, CEO of Karius. “Karius is committed to closing the gap in diagnostics for immunocompromised patients with suspected pneumonia and other lung infections to improve and save lives, and to return as quickly as possible the focus of care to their other underlying cause of illness.”

About Karius

Karius Inc., a global leader in genomic diagnostics for infectious diseases, harnesses metagenomics, next-generation sequencing, and artificial intelligence (AI) to help enhance the precision and speed of pathogen diagnosis. Karius Spectrum™ and Karius Focus™ | BAL provides clinicians with actionable insights to enhance patient management, particularly in immunocompromised populations at high risk for severe infections. These Laboratory Developed Tests (LDT) are conducted in the company's CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory, delivering precise, timely, and clinically impactful results to healthcare providers nationwide.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250429985201/en/