Cepheid Xpert® MRSA NxG, a next generation version of the molecular diagnostic test for MRSA is now CE marked and available for sale outside the USA. Xpert MRSA NxG has been updated to identify mecA- and mecC- containing MRSA strains and detect new and emerging SCCmec subtypes with enhanced performance. Xpert MRSA NxG is an important update to the menu of 23 tests available internationally to run on Cepheid's GeneXpert® System, which are well established with over 10,000 systems deployed globally in both developed and emerging market countries.

"New and emerging MRSA clones, such as livestock-associated strains, and distinct homologues of mecA resistance genes, such as mecC,3 pose a threat to efforts to contain the spread of antimicrobial resistance around the globe, which are predicated on the fast and accurate diagnosis of infections to guide patient treatment and management," said David Persing, M.D., Ph.D., Cepheid's Chief Medical and Technology Officer. "Xpert MRSA NxG is the latest tool in the fight against MRSA. Its enhanced features, such as room temperature storage, ability to rule out empty cassette strains, and validation on multiple swab types, provide additional convenience and ease-of-use to laboratories to support improved infection control outcomes."

"MRSA is known as a genetically variable pathogen and for a diagnostics provider it is of utmost importance to improve test components able to detect emerging MRSA clones with high accuracy," said Prof. Udo Reischl at the University of Regensburg in Germany. "A rapid and more sensitive method for surveillance of MRSA represents a definite advantage for patient care and infection control programs, and Xpert MRSA NxG fulfils the current need for MRSA detection."

Xpert MRSA NxG will begin shipping in countries accepting the CE-mark in April. For more information on Cepheid's GeneXpert Systems or the complete menu of Xpert tests, visit www.cepheid.com.