ECCMID Presentation to Demonstrate Revolutionary Breakthrough in Malaria Detection
(Thomson Reuters ONE) -
New Testing Procedure Holds Promise As a Critical Tool in the Global Effort to
Eliminate Malaria
VIENNA, Austria, April 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading malaria researcher
Tom van Gool's presentation at the 27th European Congress for Clinical
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) will feature impressive results
regarding a revolutionary breakthrough in the world of malaria detection. His
presentation at ECCMID is scheduled for April 25, 2017, which is also World
Malaria Day.
Dr. van Gool's research focused on the efficacy of illumigene Malaria, a
molecular-based, field laboratory-deployed test for malaria developed by
Meridian Bioscience, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ:VIVO). The test, which is
up to 80,000 times more sensitive at detecting the malaria parasite than current
diagnostic testing options, was developed by Meridian Bioscience with the
technical assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and
Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal.
Dr. van Gool, MD, PhD, is with the Department of Clinical Parasitology, Academic
Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam. His presentation of a pivotal,
multi-centre study in a non-endemic West European setting will show that among
returning travellers and immigrants, 100 percent accurate detection of malaria
was observed utilizing the illumigene Malaria molecular test, including
detection of all five malaria species and double infections. In the same
population, an estimated 10 percent of cases were misjudged as being negative
for malaria utilizing RDT testing. The finding of 100 percent accurate detection
in patients negative for malaria with illumigene Malaria was impressive, as many
patients examined for malaria in non-endemic countries prove to be negative for
the infection and harbour other diseases. "These findings support burgeoning
evidence that illumigene Malaria and illumigene Malaria PLUS assays are among
the first molecular diagnostic tests for malaria in which high sensitivity and
specificity, ease of handling and short time to result are combined - all being
essential elements in the emergency setting of malaria diagnosis in clinical
laboratories," said Dr. van Gool.
"illumigene Malaria has the potential to change current practices. Faster and
more accurate diagnosis is vital in the fight against malaria," said Professor
Daouda Ndiaye, Department of Parasitology-Mycology, Cheikh Anta Diop University.
"Earlier diagnosis enables the correct treatment to be prescribed, which leads
to better clinical outcomes for the person with malaria and keeps malaria
treatments for the right people. And because detecting the malaria parasite in
people with a low parasite count has proven difficult, a robust, sensitive and
field laboratory-deployable diagnostic tool is needed to track the malaria
reservoir in pre-elimination regions. illumigene Malaria shows this capacity."
illumigene Malaria was awarded first place for innovation in emergency treatment
and point-of-care testing at the prestigious Journées Internationales de
Biologie /Association des Colloques Nationaux des Biologistes Conference in
Paris, and is CE marked for sale in Europe.
Despite a 60 percent decline in malaria deaths since 2000 due to better
prevention and increased control measures, malaria is still one of the top three
killers of children worldwide, claiming one life every minute of every
day. ((1)) According to the latest data from the World Health Organization,
nearly half of the world's population is at risk of malaria.( (2)) In 2015,
there were roughly 212 million malaria cases and an estimated 429,000 malaria
deaths.( (3)) Also that year, Sub-Saharan Africa was home to 90 percent of
malaria cases and 92 percent of malaria deaths.( (4)) More than two-thirds (70
percent) of all malaria deaths occur in children under the age of five.( (5))
While malaria is preventable and treatable( (6)), proper diagnosis is critical.
Molecular testing has proven to be more effective than current options in
detecting the malaria parasite at very low levels, known as "loads." Identifying
low-load individuals has the dual benefit of ensuring they receive treatment and
preventing the spread of the disease to others.
"People can be carriers of malaria without showing any symptoms, and detecting
these asymptomatic individuals can be challenging," said Slava Elagin, Executive
Vice President, Research & Development at Meridian Bioscience. "If testing
doesn't identify them, eliminating malaria is impossible because these
individuals can spread the disease to others."
That scenario is playing out in the fact that malaria is no longer only a
disease of Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Increasing numbers of people
emigrating from countries where malaria is endemic have resulted in a higher
incidence in Europe and the Middle East. The proportion of imported malaria
cases has increased during the last few years from 14 percent to 86 percent in
more recent studies. On pooling the reports, nearly 43 percent of malaria cases
registered in key European centers occurred in non-nationals. The rates of
malaria are much higher in settled immigrants who travel to visit friends and
relatives in their country of origin. They can account for up to 70 percent of
the cases in several reports and this increase highlights the need for better
diagnostic tools in both non-endemic and endemic countries.
While not a new concept, molecular testing has traditionally been a complex
process requiring fully-equipped laboratories and highly trained testing
personnel. The breakthrough of illumigene Malaria by Meridian Bioscience is that
it can be deployed in the field laboratory, where malarial infection is the
highest and low load detection most challenging to diagnose and
treat. illumigene Malaria is user-friendly, does not require special training or
capital investment, yields results in under one hour and the testing materials
can be stored at room temperature.
"This is a major step forward in the fight to bring better care to those
infected with malaria and to stop its spread," said John A. Kraeutler, Chief
Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Meridian Bioscience.
The availability of the field laboratory-deployable and user-
friendly, illumigene Malaria, will enhance rather than replace existing testing
protocols. It will join rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and microscopy to create a
web of detection protocols that will help direct treatment where it is needed
most.
"Malaria is a devastating disease and we are proud to work with all the talented
and dedicated individuals around the world in the fight to eliminate it," said
Kraeutler.
illumigene Malaria will be distributed in the European, Middle Eastern and
African regions by Meridian Bioscience Europe and in additional international
markets by the Company's global distribution network. It is the tenth assay now
available on our illumigene platform that is used in nearly 1,500 institutions
around the world.
1 - Meridian news release, "New Malaria Test, illumigene Malaria, Sets a New
Gold Standard for Diagnosis", 1.26.16
2 - World Health Organization: 10 facts on malaria
(http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/malaria/en/) Updated December 2016
3 - ibid
4 - ibid
5 - ibid
6 - The World Health Organization, Global Technical Strategy for Malaria:
2016-2030
About Meridian Bioscience, illumigene Malaria & LAMP Technology
* illumigene Malaria is a diagnostic test for malaria developed by Meridian
Bioscience. It is a molecular test that uses Loop-Mediated Isothermal
Amplification (LAMP) technology to amplify DNA and detect the presence of
the malaria parasite.
* LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) is molecular detection
technology which targets DNA and uses premeasured and self-contained
reagents. Unlike current polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, it does
not require temperature cycling. LAMP incubates, detects and reports at a
single temperature, allowing for faster results. illumigene testing kits can
be stored under ambient conditions, while current molecular methods require
cold storage.
* illumigene technology is simple, accurate and easy to use, which means that
no special technical expertise is needed to perform the test. Results are
available in under an hour.
* LAMP-based illumigene tests are already used to diagnose infectious diseases
including C. difficile, whooping cough and Herpes Simplex Virus, where they
have proved highly accurate.
* illumigene tests have been approved and used in other diseases for over five
years.
About Meridian Bioscience, Inc
Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that develops, manufactures,
markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic test kits,
purified reagents and related products and offers biopharmaceutical enabling
technologies. Utilizing a variety of methods, these products and diagnostic
tests provide accuracy, simplicity and speed in the early diagnosis and
treatment of common medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal, viral and
respiratory infections. Meridian's diagnostic products are used outside of the
human body and require little or no special equipment. The Company's products
are designed to enhance patient well-being while reducing the total outcome
costs of healthcare. Meridian has strong market positions in the areas of
gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections, serology, parasitology and
fungal disease diagnosis. In addition, Meridian is a supplier of rare reagents,
specialty biologicals and related technologies used by biopharmaceutical
companies engaged in research for new drugs and vaccines. The Company markets
its products and technologies to hospitals, reference laboratories, research
centers, diagnostics manufacturers and biotech companies in more than 70
countries around the world. The Company's shares are traded on NASDAQ's Global
Select Market, symbol VIVO. Meridian's website address
is www.meridianbioscience.eu.
For Investor Relations, contact:
513-271-3700
John A. Kraeutler, Chief Executive Officer
For all other inquiries, contact:
513-403-7222
Joe Shields
This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Meridian Bioscience, Inc. via GlobeNewswire
Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 17.04.2017 - 11:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 536479
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"ECCMID Presentation to Demonstrate Revolutionary Breakthrough in Malaria Detection"
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