TB Antigen in Urine Helps Diagnose Current Mycobacterium Infection

Rapid detection of Mycobacterium, the primary causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), will aid in the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection (including TB), especially in those patients who are HIV positive.

Inverness Medical Innovations (Waltham, MA, USA) has entered into an agreement with Chemogen, Inc. (South Portland, ME, USA) for the worldwide manufacture and distribution of tests for the rapid detection of Mycobacterium, the primary causative agent of TB. New tests will utilize Chemogen's antibodies for the detection of Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) antigen in urine, which will help diagnose current mycobacterial infection.

In addition to the immediate launch of an already developed and highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test to endemic regions, Inverness plans to complete the development of a rapid point-of-care assay that will reliably and rapidly detect LAM in urine samples, using its proprietary lateral flow technology.

Commenting on the agreement, Ron Zwanziger, CEO of Inverness, said, "HIV is driving a deadly resurgence of TB on a global scale, claiming nearly two million lives annually in recent years. The need for reliable TB diagnosis in HIV co-infected populations has become a top priority, especially in the developing world where these two pandemics are taking a devastating toll on human populations. Inverness is already a leading provider of rapid HIV diagnostic tests to these areas and the availability of a reliable test that can diagnose tuberculosis in HIV-infected patients will be a major step forward in the control of the disease.”

Chemogen is an emerging biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel and proprietary technology for the rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Inverness focuses on near-patient diagnostics, monitoring, and health management, in the areas of infectious disease, cardiology, oncology, drugs of abuse, and women's health.


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