DCN Dx
DCN Dx is a Carlsbad, California-based CDMO and CRO specializing in lateral flow immunoassay and broader IVD development. It serves diagnostic developers with integrated assay design, custom readers, contract manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical research services from a 35,000+ sq. ft. ISO 13485-certified facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersCarlsbad, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DCN Dx does
DCN Dx (legally Diagnostic Consulting Network, LLC) is a Carlsbad, California-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) and contract research organization (CRO) specializing in lateral flow immunoassay diagnostics and broader in vitro diagnostic (IVD) product development. Founded circa 2005-2006, the company serves IVD developers and manufacturers across human infectious disease, oncology, veterinary, and molecular diagnostic segments, offering end-to-end services spanning contract assay development, consumable and cassette design, custom reader solutions (miniDxR platform), contract manufacturing, aseptic filling, reagent lyophilization, regulatory affairs, clinical trial management, biostatistics, data management, and consulting. Operations are anchored in a 35,000+ sq. ft. purpose-built, ISO 13485:2016- and ISO 9001:2015-certified facility featuring a 6,626 sq. ft. BSL-2 development lab, ISO Class 8 aseptic room, dry room, formulation and microbiology rooms, and an engineering workshop with SLA capability.
The company employs 100+ full-time staff and operates a sales-led go-to-market targeting diagnostic developers through direct enterprise engagement, industry conferences (MEDICA, AMP, IDWeek, ADLM, NextGen Dx, Precision Med Tri-Conference), and a thought leadership content program including the Expert Insights podcast, technical whitepapers, and the Advanced Lateral Flow Conference (ALFC) it organizes. Revenue is derived primarily from project-based professional services — CDMO contracts, CRO clinical research, biospecimen collections, and regulatory consulting — with secondary revenue from diagnostic product sales and the Basic Lateral Flow Training (BLFT) course priced at $3,900 (early bird) and $4,900 (regular). Customer logos span large enterprises (Cepheid, Wondfo USA, SRI International) and diagnostic startups (Mainz Biomed, Scout, Gravidas Diagnostics, Viro Research, E25BIO, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Abingdon), with the company claiming "hundreds of programs and clients" cumulatively.
DCN Dx received a growth investment from Martis Capital in November 2020 and executed three acquisitions between June 2021 and April 2022 — PortaScience (point-of-care diagnostics), IVD Vision (custom reader engineering, software, optical/mechanical/circuit design), and Biomed Diagnostics (veterinary and human microbiological testing) — broadening its lateral flow specialization into adjacent diagnostic categories and productized offerings under retained brands (PortaCheck, miniDxR, Biomed Diagnostics, IVD Vision). The company is led by CEO Charlie Mamrak with Patrick Vaughan, Ph.D. (former VP R&D at Trinity Biotech) as COO, Mitzi Rettinger as Chief Revenue Officer, John L. Tonkinson, Ph.D. as Chief Business Development Officer, and Brendan O'Farrell as President and Founding Partner. The board was reinforced with the appointment of former Meridian Biosciences CEO Jack Kenny. In January 2026 the company launched a new prospective biospecimen collections service, extending the platform upstream into IRB-managed specimen acquisition for IVD validation studies.
DCN Dx firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DCN Dx
- Legal name
- Diagnostic Consulting Network, LLC
- Website
- https://dcndx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- DCN Dx is a Carlsbad, California-based CDMO and CRO specializing in lateral flow immunoassay and broader IVD development. It serves diagnostic developers with integrated assay design, custom readers, contract manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and clinical research services from a 35,000+ sq. ft. ISO 13485-certified facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DCN Dx industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IVD Contract Development & Manufacturing Services
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO (HLAGABAK)
Keywords
Where DCN Dx is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carlsbad
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DCN Dx business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Contract Development & Manufacturing (CDMO): Full-service immunoassay CDMO providing assay development, consumable/cassette design, custom readers, contract manufacturing, aseptic filling, and reagent lyophilization services for lateral flow and other IVD formats
- Clinical Research Organization (CRO) Services: IVD clinical trial planning, execution and oversight including clinical operations, data management, biostatistics, regulatory affairs, trial management, site development, and consulting services
- Biospecimen Collections Service: Prospective biospecimen collections for analytical validation, clinical performance studies, CLIA waiver flex studies, supporting various specimen types including whole blood, saliva, tissue, nasal swabs, stool, urine, and plasma/serum
- Training Courses: Basic Lateral Flow Training (BLFT) courses conducted at Carlsbad facility, providing hands-on education in lateral flow assay development
- Product Sales: Diagnostic products and consumables available through e-commerce store
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Early Bird Basic Lateral Flow Training |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Regular Basic Lateral Flow Training |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
DCN Dx product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DCN Dx is an immunoassay Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) Contract Research Organization (CRO) that provides end-to-end services for lateral flow and point-of-care diagnostic developers. The company offers contract assay development, consumable and cassette design, custom reader development, contract manufacturing (including aseptic filling and reagent lyophilization), clinical trial management, regulatory affairs support, prospective biospecimen collections, and Basic Lateral Flow Training courses.
Product overview
DCN Dx is an immunoassay CDMO (Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization) and IVD CRO (Clinical Research Organization) providing integrated services for lateral flow and point-of-care diagnostics development. The company operates a unified platform combining CDMO services (contract assay development, consumable/cassette design, custom readers, contract manufacturing, aseptic filling, reagent lyophilization) with CRO services (trial management, site development, biostatistics, data management, regulatory affairs). Supporting offerings include a prospective biospecimen collections service, regulatory affairs consulting, and the Basic Lateral Flow Training (BLFT) course. The company also maintains acquired brands including PortaCheck, Biomed Diagnostics, and IVD Vision, and offers the miniDxR custom reader platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PortaCheck: A DCN Dx brand offering diagnostic devices for subclinical mastitis detection in veterinary diagnostics.
- miniDxR
Products and services
- Contract Development & Manufacturing (CDMO) Services
- Clinical Research Organization (CRO) Services
- Prospective Biospecimen Collections Service
- Basic Lateral Flow Training (BLFT)
- miniDxR Custom Reader Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- Supported hundreds of IVD programs and clients across various diagnostic modalities
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DCN Dx
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DCN Dx technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
DCN Dx partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- BIOASTERstrategicCollaboration for the development of multiplex rapid diagnostics for neglected tropical diseases affecting millions globally.
- Mapp BiopharmaceuticalstrategicSubcontract for Ebola detection diagnostic development.
- Biomed DiagnosticscoreAcquisition completed: Microbiologics business focused on microbiological testing products for detecting infectious microorganisms in human and veterinary markets.
- Mainz BiomedcorePartnership for clinical studies supporting Mainz Biomed's colorectal cancer diagnostic product development. DCN Dx providing clinical research services.
- IVD Vision, Inc.coreAcquisition completed: Developer of diagnostic systems and devices expanding engineering services and product portfolio with capabilities in custom reader solutions, software development, optical, mechanical, and circuit design for point-of-care diagnostics.
- PortaSciencecoreAcquisition of point-of-care diagnostics development company PortaScience.
- AbingdonstrategicPartnership on commercialization of Abingdon APPDX M-Health Technology.
- Qiagen Lake ConstancecoreCollaboration on Rapid Testing Innovation Award, co-sponsored by DCN Dx and Qiagen Lake Constance to recognize innovation in rapid point-of-care diagnostics.
- E25BIOstrategicPartnership for development of an in vitro diagnostic for early detection of infectious diseases.
- SRI InternationalcoreSuccessful partnership on three U.S. government-funded IVD medical device projects. DCN Dx served as innovative and responsive collaborator, prototyping complex assays and advising on appropriate analyzers.
- Wondfo USAcoreDCN Dx clinical research supported Wondfo's FDA EUA authorization for WELLlife COVID-19/Influenza A&B Test.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
DCN Dx competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trinity Biotech: Ireland-based IVD developer and manufacturer with a focus on clinical laboratory and point-of-care diagnostics, including lateral flow and immunoassay products. Highly comparable given DCN Dx COO Patrick Vaughan's prior tenure as VP of R&D at Trinity Biotech.
- Meridian Bioscience: IVD developer and contract manufacturer with a portfolio spanning immunoassay, molecular, and lateral flow diagnostics. Comparable as an IVD-focused company offering both proprietary products and life science contract services, recently acquired by Revvity (formerly Eurofins SD).
Broad incumbents
- Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in bioanalytical testing and IVD services, including clinical diagnostics, CDMO, and CRO capabilities. Provides a much broader service portfolio than DCN Dx but overlaps significantly in IVD clinical research and contract manufacturing.
- Charles River Laboratories: Major global CRO with established IVD and diagnostics services alongside its core biopharma preclinical and clinical offerings. Overlaps with DCN Dx on the IVD clinical research side, though with much broader modality coverage.
- QuidelOrtho: Large IVD manufacturer formed through the merger of Quidel and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, with a substantial rapid diagnostics / lateral flow franchise. Comparable in lateral flow product portfolio but operates at significantly greater scale as an OEM rather than a CDMO.
- bioMérieux: Global IVD company with strength in microbiology and molecular diagnostics (including the BioFire franchise). Comparable to DCN Dx on the IVD/microbiological testing side, particularly given DCN Dx's acquisition of Biomed Diagnostics.
- Sartorius: Bioprocessing and lab products company with growing IVD manufacturing solutions footprint. Overlaps with DCN Dx on the contract manufacturing / CDMO side, though Sartorius focuses on upstream bioprocess equipment and consumables.
- IQVIA: World's largest CRO with significant diagnostics and device clinical research operations. Competes with DCN Dx for IVD clinical trial programs, particularly larger multi-site studies, but with vastly broader global infrastructure.
- Bio-Techne: Life science tools and diagnostics company with IVD reagent development and GMP manufacturing capabilities. Overlaps with DCN Dx on the assay development and reagent manufacturing side, particularly for lateral flow and immunoassay formats.
- Abbott Rapid Diagnostics: Major lateral flow and rapid diagnostics manufacturer (Binax, Panbio, SD Biosensor partnership) and large IVD contract manufacturing organization. Competes with DCN Dx both as an OEM manufacturer and as an in-house alternative for IVD developers seeking rapid test manufacturing capacity.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DCN Dx social profiles
Digital presenceDCN Dx compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
DCN Dx financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DCN Dx leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
DCN Dx subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
DCN Dx funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DCN Dx M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DCN Dx
What does DCN Dx do?
DCN Dx is an immunoassay Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and in vitro diagnostic (IVD) Contract Research Organization (CRO) that provides end-to-end services for lateral flow and point-of-care diagnostic developers. The company offers contract assay development, consumable and cassette design, custom reader development, contract manufacturing (including aseptic filling and reagent lyophilization), clinical trial management, regulatory affairs support, prospective biospecimen collections, and Basic Lateral Flow Training courses.
Is DCN Dx a public or private company?
DCN Dx is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was DCN Dx founded?
DCN Dx was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DCN Dx based?
DCN Dx is headquartered in Carlsbad, United States, in the North America region.
How does DCN Dx make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Contract Development & Manufacturing (CDMO) is the primary driver. The others are clinical Research Organization (CRO) Services, biospecimen Collections Service, training Courses and product Sales.
Who are DCN Dx's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trinity Biotech and Meridian Bioscience. Broad incumbents are Eurofins Scientific, Charles River Laboratories, QuidelOrtho, bioMérieux, Sartorius, IQVIA, Bio-Techne and Abbott Rapid Diagnostics.
Does DCN Dx have an API?
No public API is recorded for DCN Dx.
What industry is DCN Dx in?
DCN Dx's product category is IVD Contract Development & Manufacturing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAGABAK, Clinical Trial Material (CTM) Manufacturing & Supply CDMO. Its NAICS code is 54171 and its SIC code is 8734.