Company Streamlines Detecting, Diagnosing, and Tracking Infectious Disease

A company is using its DNA analysis technology in major global collaborations aimed at curbing the spread of viruses such as H1N1 or avian flu, in real time.

The Jerusalem-based subsidiary of Azure PCR (Jerusalem, Israel) has streamlined the process of detecting, diagnosing, and tracking infectious diseases. The company is participating in the largest-ever child health study, the Johns Hopkins (Baltimore, MD, USA)-based PERCH (Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health. This multicountry study of hospitalized pediatric patients with severe pneumonia aims to advance new lab techniques in order to better determine causes and risk factors, as well as guide the development of new vaccines and treatments.

The Israeli company’s role in this USD 260 million study is its unique capability for fast and automated data analysis. At this early stage, however, the company is not focusing on consumer application but on using its automatic DNA analysis technology in major global collaborations aimed at curbing the spread of viruses such as H1N1 or avian flu, in real time.

There are three steps to the process: extracting the DNA from a urine or blood sample, testing the DNA, and analyzing the results. The first two steps were automated before Azure PCR came on the scene. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most popular molecular diagnostic technique in use today, accounting for more than USD 2.8 billion in sales. The breakthrough is automating the analysis step—greatly speeding up the process, removing the need for specially trained technicians (a particularly acute issue for developing countries where skilled professionals can be hard to find), and eliminating room for error in interpreting results.

CEO of Azure PCR, Aron Cohen said, “We make the subjective objective. We can provide standardized results without the need for skilled personnel. With major global pandemics such as SARS and swine flu, we saw a 6- to 18-month lag in diseases that start[ed] in developing nations until spreading to the West, so being able to track these in real time can make prevention through vaccination and other methods possible,” Cohen explained.

“Putting early warning systems in place can improve people’s lives and cut down on the cost of universal healthcare. If we know there is a disease spreading from a town and can map its distribution patterns, targeted vaccination can prevent it from spreading. Prevention is always better than cure.”

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