Real Time PCR Assay MycAssay™ Aspergillus Gains CE Mark

Myconostica Ltd, a UK-based medical diagnostic company which specialises in rapid molecular diagnostic tests for life-threatening fungal infections, today announces the launch of a new test to assist medical and scientific professionals to identify one of the most common causes of fungal pneumonia. The assay, MycAssay™ Aspergillus, is a real-time PCR test which accurately and rapidly identifies infections caused by Aspergillus.

MycAssay™ Aspergillus is a sensitive and specific assay designed to aid healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis of Aspergillus infections. Pneumonia caused by Aspergillus is the leading cause of infectious death in leukaemia and bone marrow patients with an estimated 10 million people at risk globally each year. Studies have shown that diagnosis of Aspergillus infection followed by antifungal treatment within the first 10 days of infection reduces mortality from 90% to 40% thus highlighting the necessity of rapid diagnostic testing.

Traditional methods used to identify Aspergillus infections are well-documented as being inaccurate, insensitive and slow, with a result taking up to 10 days. When MycAssay™ Aspergillus is combined with Myconostica´s fungal DNA extraction system, MycXtra®, a result can be obtained within 3 hours therefore providing a rapid, sensitive and specific alternative to the conventional techniques used to identify Aspergillus infections.

MycAssay™ Aspergillus is the latest in a pipeline of products from Myconostica designed to assist in the diagnosis of fungal disease. MycAssay™ Pneumocystis, for the detection of infections caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii was launched earlier this year and further tests in the MycAssay™ series will also target critical fungal infections, such as Candida.