Company Exhibits Infectious Disease Testing Capabilities at ECCMID 2012

A company showcased a broad portfolio of infectious disease testing capabilities—from screening and diagnosis to susceptibility testing, genotyping, therapy selection and monitoring—at the 22nd European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in London (United Kingdom), which took place from March 31 to April 3, 2012.

The Siemens solutions on display at ECCMID 2012 illustrated the company's commitment to the development of reliable, high-quality infectious disease diagnostic solutions to help laboratories optimize workflow and enhance operational efficiency.

Featuring products designed to address the current and growing demands of infectious disease testing, the exhibit included customized workflow options, assays to help clinicians improve patient care, and clinically validated, expert-based software solutions that support personalized medicine.

Siemens also showcased its portfolio of diagnostic solutions for managing liver-disease patients, including routine chemistry tests, hepatitis serology assays, viral load testing, and ultrasound systems.

A highlight at the Siemens' booth was the recently launched ADVIA Centaur enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) Test, a routine, standardized, direct biomarker panel for the assessment of liver fibrosis, an indicator of chronic liver disease, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. The ELF test combines three serum biomarkers—hyaluronic acid (HA), Procollagen III amino terminal peptide (PIIINP), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1)—which provide a score, shown to correlate to the level of liver fibrosis as assessed by liver biopsy. Results of the test are available in about an hour.

The latest Siemens’ microbiology offerings displayed included LabPro Connect, a new software solution that consolidates databases for multiple testing systems. The open-system configuration option delivers workstation networking by aggregating LabPro ID/AST data to bench and laboratory office computers, reducing wasted staff time absorbed by visiting different instruments to collect information. LabPro Connect can also be configured as a closed-system without workstation networking.

Microbiology automation and mass spectrometry solutions, now available from Siemens as a result of a strategic partnership with Copan (Murrieta, CA, USA) and co-marketing agreement with Bruker Corp. (Madison, WI, USA), were also demonstrated at the meeting.

In addition, Siemens’ ECCMID booth included information about the Versant Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA 1.0 assay, a sensitive viral load assay for the Versant kinetic polymerase chain reaction (kPCR) molecular system. This assay aids in the management of individuals infected with HCV—one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide—who are undergoing antiviral therapy.

The Trugene HIV-1 Guidelines 17.09, the latest interpretive algorithm for Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 drug resistance, which are clinically validated and updated annually by an independent expert panel, as well as the company’s latest tissue preparation and extraction solutions to maximize lab efficiency were available at Siemens' booth.

“Infectious disease is a leading cause of death worldwide, making it critical that clinicians have access to diagnostic solutions that provide trustworthy results, which ultimately contribute to optimal patient outcomes,” said Christoph Gauer, PhD, CEO, Molecular and Microbiology Business Segment at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics (Marburg, Germany). “Visitors to our ECCMID booth learnt how Siemens can help them improve the delivery of vital information healthcare providers require to care for their patients impacted by infectious disease.”

Related Links:
Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics
Siemens solutions at ECCMID 2012
Copan