Thermo
Fisher Scientific Announces New Group-B Strep Test.
Thermo
Scientific Brilliance GBS Agar reduces Group B streptococcus testing in
pregnancy to a simple four-step process for faster confirmation and patient
treatment.
The test is CE marked for clinical testing, and has not received FDA clearance in the United States.
Full
press release is below.
SOURCE:
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Monday,
February 25, 2013 5:00 pm EST
BASINGSTOKE,
United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thermo
Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced
the launch of Brilliance GBS Agar for the testing of Group B streptococci (GBS)
during pregnancy. The new agar is designed to reduce the number of test steps
for clinical technicians, give more reliable results, and enable faster patient
treatment by featuring proprietary Inhibigen™ technology.
The
test is CE marked for clinical testing, and has not received FDA clearance in
the United States.
GBS is
a bacterium that can be passed from mother to baby during labor, and is the
most common cause of severe, sometimes fatal, infection in newborns. According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), early onset of the disease
shows a case fatality rate of up to 29%. Screening women for GBS colonization
between weeks 35-37 of pregnancy may allow hospitals time to prescribe
eradication therapy prior to labor, eliminating the GBS that is a potential
cause of pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis if passed on to the infant prior to,
or during birth. The UK GBS
Support Group currently believes that timely intervention can reduce
GBS infection in newborn babies by 60% and deaths from GBS in babies by 70%.
The
new Brilliance GBS Agar differs from traditional GBS screening methods by
eliminating the need for a pre-enrichment step that can take up to 18 hours,
and thus delivers final results in less than 24 hours. In addition, Inhibigen
technology selectively prevents the growth of enterococci that can sometimes
lead to false positives and a need for additional confirmation tests.
“The
implications of GBS disease include significant threat to patient morbidity and
mortality and the additional costs associated with high-dependency baby care”,
says Sumi Thaker, Global VP Marketing, Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“Screening programs are proven to reduce the risks, but offer a challenge to
the laboratory as they have to process a huge number of samples, many of which
will be negative.
“With
the introduction of Brilliance GBS Agar, we offer the laboratory a streamlined
workflow and reduced turnaround time from swab to result, making handling the
high throughput easier and more cost effective. Identification of GBS is made
easier with a medium formulation that colors GBS colonies a bright pink, whilst
non-GBS colonies are either inhibited, or grow a dark blue or purple. The
inhibition in this product is more powerful than anything we’ve seen before. In
trials, up to 99% of the negatives show no growth, greatly simplifying
interpretation. And because the product requires only a single inoculation, it
is also ideal for those laboratories who are already automating their test
procedures. Screening for GBS can now be as simple as screening for MRSA”.
Brilliance
GBS Agar is designed for hospital laboratories that are already routinely
screening for GBS, but are looking for a more streamlined approach, and for the
increasing number that recognize the benefits of screening and need an easy to
use test that technicians of all skill levels can confidently adopt.
About
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo
Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is
to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With
revenues of $13 billion, we have approximately 39,000 employees and serve
customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical
diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies,
as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for
our key stakeholders through three premier brands, Thermo Scientific, Fisher
Scientific and Unity™ Lab Services, which offer a unique combination of
innovative technologies, convenient purchasing options and a single solution
for laboratory operations management. Our products and services help our
customers solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics and
increase laboratory productivity. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
Contact:
Thermo
Fisher Scientific Inc.
Nicola Scott, 01256 694318
nicola.scott@thermofisher.com
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