Test Helps Select Antibiotic for Chronic Lung Infections

A new test allows doctors to more accurately identify the right antibiotics required to treat serious, chronic infections that are biofilm based. Biofilms are protected communities of microorganisms that are very common and very difficult to treat due to their inherent resistance.

More than 80% of infections in the developed world are caused by biofilms. The new test, called bioFILM PA, will have potential for identifying chronic bacterial infections of the lungs. Before the test became available treatment of chronic infections required trying different antibiotics until one or several together eliminated or controlled the bacteria in the biofilm. This resulted in danger to the patient's health and increased health care costs. Meanwhile the bacteria had the opportunity to develop resistance to one or more antibiotics. Biofilm infections can be 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics than conventional infections.

Innovotech (Edmonton, Canada), the company that developed bioFILM PA, recognized that current testing was for free-floating or single bacteria, whereas cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections and other chronic infections were caused by bacteria in a biofilm state, which are much more difficult to eliminate.

The bioFILM PA test shows potential for use on other serious bacterial biofilm infections such as chronic pneumonia, burns, and wounds. Innovotech has development plans for companion products to bioFILM PA that will address biofilm infections of catheters, artificial joints, mechanical heart valves, and other devices.

bioFILM PA has received regulatory approval by Health Canada and is available for sale in Canada. It has also met all current standards of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) for reproducibility and consistency.

Related Links:
Innovotech
Health Canada