Procalcitonin Assay to Be Available to Broader Patient Base

The Procalcitonin (PCT) test, which has been the gold standard for the early detection of sepsis in critically ill patients in Europe, is now available on a family of instruments.

The PCT assay helps doctors to make an early determination of whether an infection is bacterial or viral and quickly provides information on the severity of a patient’s condition for appropriate treatment and therapy monitoring.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Waltham, MA, USA) has signed a long-term license agreement with Fujirebio Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) to make its biomarker assay Procalcitonin available on the Lumipulse family of laboratory instruments, using the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) technology. In Japan, Fujirebio’s Lumipulse product line is placed in many hospitals and clinical reference labs and will be extended with future placements of Lumipulse platforms in other markets worldwide.

The PCT assay is available worldwide on several different laboratory instruments from strategic license partners. In Japan, the PCT assay is used in patients suspected of having sepsis. Broader availability of PCT testing for diagnosing sepsis will lead to improved hospital management.

“This agreement with Fujirebio ensures that PCT testing will be available to a much broader patient base, helping to improve [the] patient’s outcome,” said Marc Tremblay, president of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Clinical Diagnostics business. “Through the earlier detection of sepsis, healthcare providers can offer much better treatment to their patients and also achieve dramatic cost-savings.”

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Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Fujirebio Inc.