Hansa’s heparin binding protein assay is reportedly better than the inflammation markers currently used.
Axis-Shield negotiated exclusive rights from Swedish company, Hansa Medical, to a heparin binding protein (HBP) assay for the development of a device to detect the onset of severe sepsis and related conditions.
Hansa Medical claims its diagnostic, HMD-301, can identity which patients will develop severe sepsis with better sensitivity and specificity than inflammation biomarkers on the market. The company reports that this enables the start of treatment with antibiotic and fluid therapy up to 12 hours before symptoms appear.
“We have been seeking an improved sepsis marker for some time”, notes Ian Gilham, Axis-Shield CEO. “The urgent medical requirement for better and earlier diagnosis of sepsis is well-recognized and we will accelerate the development of the HBP assay to enable test commercialization as soon as possible.” The agreement will see Axis-Shield develop tests for HBP and find commercial partners with which to incorporate the assay on high-throughput lab systems.
Axis-Shield suggests currently available tests for severe sepsis are unreliable, and some 200,000 people die from the condition every year in the U.S. Better methods for detecting severe sepsis could therefore play an important role in reducing mortality from the condition, as survival rates are known to increase by 7.5% for every hour earlier that its onset is identified and properly treated.
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