Press release: New test for detection of C. difficile infection

Turku Finland, 11/1/2017 – Today, the Finnish medical device manufacturer ArcDia International Ltd launches a new IVD test for the detection of Clostridium difficile bacteria – the leading cause of antimicrobial-associated diarrhea. C. difficile is known as opportunistic bacteria that may cause life-threatening inflammation in the intestine as a complication of antimicrobial treatment. The new test application mariPOC® CDI (C. difficile infection) expands the menu of ArcDia’s mariPOC® test system.

The mariPOC® CDI test is superior to conventional tests in ease of use and reliability. The new test is automated, and thus well-suited for the analysis of large numbers of samples. It is suitable for use in clinical microbiology laboratories as well as emergency laboratories.

“The recent guidelines of the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) recommends the use of phenotypic assay techniques instead of relying solely on genotypic techniques. ArcDia’s test is indeed phenotypic”, says Dr. Janne Koskinen, the Head of R&D at ArcDia. “We believe that the new test is clinically more accurate than tests based on DNA detection. Due to its high accuracy, ArcDia’s test provides less clinically false positive results. These false positives may lead to the administration of an additional antibiotic regimen, which may further weaken the patient’s condition”, Koskinen continues.

The development of the mariPOC® CDI test is based on a productive long-term research collaboration between health care providers, clinical labs, and research institutions within a R&D program funded by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation. “There has been major growth in the export of Finnish health tech products during the recent years. The new mariPOC® CDI appears to match the market needs well and we anticipate a substantial increase in ArcDia’s export business as a result”, says Dr. Aleksi Soini, ArcDia’s CEO.

mariPOC®

mariPOC® is a fully automated IVD test system, which has been designed for the rapid identification of the pathogens of acute infections. mariPOC® identifies the most common respiratory, tonsillar and gastrointestinal pathogens. mariPOC® is the leading product on the Finnish market for the automated detection of respiratory infections. mariPOC® is known for its ease of use, high accuracy and reliability. mariPOC® is based on high-end laser technology and it awarded the “Best Practices Award” by Frost & Sullivan in 2014.

ArcDia

ArcDia International Ltd manufacturers mariPOC®, the world’s first multianalyte point-of-care diagnostics test for respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections. ArcDia aims to expand the mariPOC® product line to cover the most common infections and antimicrobial resistance markers. www.arcdia.com

Further information:

Product manager, Jenna Mäkilä

ArcDia International Oy Ltd.

Email: jenna.makila@arcdia.com, Phone: + 358-40-019-5047