AdvanDx, Inc. Launches First LNA-Based In Vitro Diagnostic Test for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant 'Superbugs'
AdvanDx, Inc.announced the launch of vanA/B EVIGENE in Europe, the first LNA-based in vitro diagnostic test for detecting the antibiotic resistant 'Superbugs' Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Vancomycin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) in positive blood cultures and clinical isolates. Infections with antibiotic resistant 'Superbugs', such as VRE and VRSA, are serious problems for patients and hospitals worldwide. Rapid and accurate identification of these pathogens is crucial to ensuring early, appropriate and effective therapy that will allow hospitals to reduce mortality, patient length of stay and overall costs while in the long run tackling the problem of antibiotic resistance.
According to the company, vanA/B EVIGENE combines the high specificity of Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) probes with EVIGENE, a signal amplified sandwich hybridization assay platform, to rapidly and accurately detect both the vanA and vanB genes that confer vancomycin resistance in enterococci and Staphylococcus aureus. A study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology concluded that the EVIGENE technology demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for the detection of vanA in S. aureus (VRSA) and vanA or vanB in enterococci (VRE).
"We are extremely excited to see AdvanDx introduce the first LNA-based in vitro diagnostic test. This marks the transition of LNA from a research tool to a clinical diagnostic tool," said Dr. Henrik Stender, Vice President for Research and Development, at AdvanDx.
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