Sample and assay technologies provider Qiagen NV (QGEN) recently announced the launch of its latest diagnostic TB test– QuantiFERON-TB Gold-Plus (QFT-Plus), subsequent to the product’s receipt of CE Mark in Europe.
QFT-Plus is the fourth generation of the most accurate test used in the diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) infection. It involves Qiagen’s proprietary QuantiFERON technology which can uniquely identify presymptomatic infections that standard diagnostic technologies fail to detect.
This advanced technology will enable a diagnostic test to capture, for the first time, a much broader picture of a patient’s immune response to TB infection.
This launch corresponds to the early stages of implementing the Post-2015 Global Tuberculosis Strategy – a 20-year action plan developed by World Health Organization (WHO) and made public in Oct 2014. Per WHO’s estimates, around 2 billion people across the globe are likely to be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, up to 10% of whom are expected to develop the active form of this extremely contagious disease during their lifespan.
Currently, as observed among leading TB control programs, the trend of diagnosis has shifted from the century-old tuberculin skin test (TST) to the more advanced QuantiFERON-TB Gold technology. This is because the superior clinical performance and the simpler administration of this method have made it a more cost-effective choice for TB testing.
Screening with QuantiFERON-TB Gold also reduces false-positive readings that are a common byproduct of standard skin tests. This helps in avoiding unnecessary patient treatment and healthcare expenses. Interestingly, positive readings provided by the QuantiFERON-TB technology are up to 99% accurate.
With the launch of the next generation QFT-Plus, management believes that the cost-efficacy of this technology will enhance even further, delivering a new gold standard in the global fight against TB infection.
QFT-Plus is now available in Europe and other markets. Management believes that this diagnostic test will gradually replace QuantiFERON-TB Gold – the third generation version of QuantiFERON-TB technology.
It is crucial to mention that QuantiFERON-TB Gold has already established itself as a cost-efficient tool for TB infection testing and has achieved impressive annual sales of more than $100 million in 2014.
We believe, with the launch of QFT-Plus, Qiagen will be able fetch even higher profits for Qiagen going ahead.
Currently, Qiagen holds a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Better-ranked stocks in the med-biomed/generic industry include Affymetrix Inc. (AFFX), Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALXN) and AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AMAG). All these stocks hold a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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