Mobidiag releases first microarray based rapid test for herpes virus identification

Mobidiag Releases First Microarray Based Rapid Test for Herpesvirus IdentificationProve-it Herpes™ offers considerable cost savings for healthcare industry by identifying eight herpesviruses simultaneously

Helsinki, Finland 12 March – the Finland-based biotechnology company Mobidiag, active member in HealthBIO cluster, today announced the new Prove-it™ Herpes test for the fast and reliable identification of herpesviruses. The microarray-based test takes less than three hours to complete and enables simultaneous identification of eight different human herpesviruses. Herpesviruses cause life-threatening central nervous system infections (CNSI), and rapid diagnosis improves likelihood of recovery. The new test is initially intended for research purposes, and Mobidiag plans to acquire European approval for use in clinical diagnostics later this year.

”Market potential for the product is enormous. In Europe alone, over 100 million euros are spent annually on herpesvirus diagnostics. We believe that Prove-it™ Herpes will gain a considerable slice of that market,” says Jaakko Pellosniemi, CEO of Mobidiag. ”What makes Prove-it™ Herpes unique is that it combines different technologies and integrates them into a single easy-to-use and capable products,” Pellosniemi continues.

In addition to illnesses such as labial herpes, chickenpox and roseola, herpesviruses can also cause serious central nervous system infections such as encephalitis. Without appropriate treatment, mortality rate from these infections can be as high as 50%. The sooner the pathogen is detected, the higher the likelihood of recovery. However, virus detection may be slow with current methods, and in severe suspected virus infection cases, medication is often started merely as a precaution. There are roughly four million of these suspected cases annually in the Industrial World, making testing and treating potential infections very expensive.

The Mobidiag test can detect and identify the viruses many times faster than conventional methods. Appropriate antiviral treatment can be administered sooner, and the level of potential permanent damage to the patient is decreased. Additionally, Mobidiag’s test reveals multi-infections caused by several herpesviruses. The detection is also exceptionally sensitive to low viral loads, which are typical in the early stages of a central nervous system infection.

”We believe that in the future, microarray-based tests will quickly become common in diagnostics due to their simplicity, speed, and reliability. A clinician can instantly check hundreds of viral and bacterial-based illnesses, offering a huge saving potential for the healthcare industry. Mobidiag will play a vital role in this development,” says Pellosniemi.

Founded in 2001, Mobidiag develops rapid diagnostic tests for hospital laboratories. The Prove-it™ Herpes test is developed in co-operation with Hospital Districts of Helsinki and Uusimaa and the University of Helsinki.

Additional information:

CEO Jaakko Pellosniemi, Mobidiag Ltd, tel. + 358 40 501 1004

Mobidiag Ltd is a Finnish biotechnology company developing, producing and marketing rapid diagnostic tests to hospital laboratories. The company focuses on detection of serious infections with DNA-tests. More information onwww.mobidiag.com