TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- A study presented at this year's
51st American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) meeting
reported on results using a new Hepatitis C (HCV) test which utilizes a
cutting-edge molecular diagnostics technology called transcription mediated
amplification (TMA). The results of this study showed that more than one-
third of the patient samples that tested negative for HCV using the
conventional PCR test were actually positive when tested by the new TMA test.
Dr. Stefan Zeuzem of the Zentrum der Inneren Medizin, Frankfurt, Germany,
presented results of a study in which 47 patient samples that had previously
tested negative for HCV with existing PCR-based assays, were re-tested with
the VERSANT(TM) HCV Qualitative RNA Assay from Bayer Diagnostics. The results
of this new study showed that 36% of patient samples that were negative using
the PCR assay were positive by the new TMA test. After being tested with the
conventional PCR test, all of these patients had relapsed after treatment was
stopped. Dr. Zeuzem speculated that the results may have implications for the
treatment of chronic Hepatitis C, such as keeping patients on therapy longer
to avoid relapse. Further research is necessary to confirm these early stage
results.
The VERSANT(TM) HCV RNA Qualitative Assay, is currently available for
Investigational Use Only (the performance characteristics of this product have
not been established) in Germany and other parts of Europe. Qualitative
testing for HCV using TMA technology is available in the U.S. as a service of
the Bayer Reference Testing Laboratory in Emeryville, California.
Bayer Diagnostics is a leader in developing novel nucleic acid diagnostic
tests for infectious diseases. The company recently released a new version of
its quantitative HCV RNA assay (based on its proprietary bDNA technology).
That assay, VERSANT(TM) HCV RNA 3.0 Assay (bDNA) is available worldwide for
Research Use Only (not for use for diagnostic procedures), and is designed to
quantitate HCV RNA over a broad range of values.
Bayer Diagnostics
With more than 7,500 employees worldwide and 1999 sales of close to
$1.8 billion, Bayer Diagnostics (http://www.bayerdiag.com), based in Tarrytown, New
York, USA, is one of the largest diagnostic businesses in the world. The
organization supports customers in 100 countries through an extensive
portfolio of central laboratory, self-testing, nucleic acid, point of care and
critical care diagnostics systems and services for use in the assessment and
management of health, including the areas of cardiovascular disease, oncology,
virology, women's health and diabetes. Bayer Diagnostics is a part of the
worldwide Bayer Group, a $29 billion international life sciences, polymers and
specialty chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer Diagnostics'
global headquarters in the United States operates as part of Bayer Corporation
of Pittsburgh, a research-based company with major businesses in health care,
life science and chemicals.
SOURCE Bayer Corporation
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CONTACT:
Andrea Johnston of Bayer, 914-524-3346
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