Yahoo Finance QIAGEN (QGEN) Partners With IPPA to Raise TB Screening Awareness
QIAGEN N.V. QGEN recently partnered with the International Panel Physicians Association (“IPPA”) to support and educate panel physicians around the globe on the latest tuberculosis (TB) screening requirements. The new collaboration follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updating its guidelines for the new TB screening requirements for immigrants to the United States.
The latest development will also strongly boost QIAGEN’s Molecular Diagnostics business area.
Significance of the Collaboration
IPPA is a U.S.-based non-profit organization of physicians who are authorized to conduct immigration medical evaluations by governments of countries that receive migrants, including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The QIAGEN-IPPA collaboration will emphasize the new Interferon Gamma Release Assay (“IGRA”) requirements and the associated benefits for patients and healthcare providers.
Per the updated CDC guidelines, all individuals aged above two years old from countries with a WHO-estimated TB incidence rate of more than 20 cases per 100,000 people will require an IGRA test as part of their U.S. immigrant visa medical exam by Oct 1, 2024. The new mandate expands from the previous requirement covering only children aged two to 14. Both QIAGEN and IPPA are committed to promoting the use of IGRA testing, such as QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Plus, to ensure a safe immigration process and support the global fight against TB.
More on the News
In anticipation of World TB Day, QIAGEN is set to host a global CPD (Continuing Professional Development)-accredited event on Mar 21, 2024, with top TB experts discussing the vital theme of “TB infection screening and preventive therapy for achieving End TB strategy goals”. The program will explore the global TB landscape, advances in testing and prevention and screening of migrants. A panel discussion will address TB epidemiology, cost-effectiveness and challenges faced by high-risk groups like migrants and children.
The contagious bacterial infection is spread primarily by the coughing of patients with the active pulmonary form of the disease. According to WHO, more than 10 million new cases of active TB worldwide and 1.3 million deaths are said to have been reported in 2022. One in four people worldwide are believed to have latent TB infections, with 5-10% of them expected at some point to develop active TB. Given these statistics, screening for latent TB infection is essential to end TB.
QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus assay detects TB infection by identifying interferon-gamma released by T-cells in response to TB-specific antigens. This one-visit test outperforms the century???old, two-visit TB skin test, particularly for patients from high-TB-burden countries who have received BCG vaccination. The CDC and WHO endorse the use of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus to combat the global TB epidemic.
Other Developments in the Molecular Diagnostics Business
Earlier in January 2024, QIAGEN received the FDA clearance of NeuMoDx CT/NG Assay 2.0 for use on both of its integrated PCR-based NeuMoDx 96 and 288 clinical molecular testing systems. The assay is designed for the direct detection of asymptomatic and symptomatic bacterial infections involving Chlamydia trachomatis and/or Neisseria gonorrhoeae — the most common type of bacterial infection among sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States.
Updates From Peers
In the TB diagnostics space, QIAGEN faces competition from some prominent MedTech players. These companies are also making notable developments in their respective categories.
Becton, Dickinson and Company BDX,or BD, together with a consortium of healthcare institutions in Denmark, recently innovated a method to recycle used blood collection tubes without compromising the hygiene, safety or quality of the material. The company is working with like-minded partners to drive sustainable innovation, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of its product portfolio while maintaining the standards of patient safety, quality and efficacy. BD has also collaborated with GOCC (The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity) to expand access to advanced testing for bloodstream infections and sepsis management at more than 150 Polish hospitals and clinics.
Renowned for serving science, Thermo Fisher Scientific TMO recently launched a new CorEvitas syndicated clinical registry in generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). The registry addresses an unmet need for real-world evidence related to the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of patients with GPP.
Thermo Fisher also introduced the Dionex Inuvion Ion Chromatography system, which helps make ion analysis simpler and more intuitive for labs of all sizes. The system features advanced pump technology for better speed, quality and reproducibility, operator-friendly engineering to enhance the operator experience and user-installable accessories that extend its capabilities and ultimately help achieve the highest quality results.
Another peer of QIAGEN, the medical imaging solutions company Hologic HOLX, recently secured FDA clearance for the new Genius Digital Diagnostics System with the Genius Cervical AI algorithm. This is the first and only FDA-cleared digital cytology system combining deep-learning-based AI with advanced volumetric imaging technology to help identify pre-cancerous lesions and cervical cancer cells. Hologic also launched the Better is Possible campaign in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, GA, and Detroit, MI, to raise awareness about common challenges like heavy periods, pelvic pain and fibroids while educating women about available treatments.
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