Advertisement
"Diagnostic testing accounts for less than five percent of healthcarespending, yet it influences some 80 percent of healthcare decisions, so atest's accuracy, reproducibility, and consistency of results - regardless ofwho is performing it or where - is of paramount importance," said MagellanPresident and Chief Executive Officer, Robert J. Rosenthal, Ph.D. "And whiletest volumes are growing dramatically, particularly in hospital-based labs, sotoo is the critical shortage of qualified laboratory personnel. Whether it'smeasuring vitamin D sufficiency, which is vital to human health, performingsusceptibility testing to help fight against MRSA and antibiotics resistance,automating ELISA assays to increase accuracy and reproducibility, or screeningchildren to identify those at risk for lead poisoning - Magellan's goal isalways to develop a better, more cost-effective, and staff-efficient way toaddress a critical unmet need in the clinical marketplace and improve healthoutcomes."
Advertisement
ESA Biosciences is launching a new FDA-cleared test to assess vitamin Dsufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is at epidemic proportions in the generalpopulation, yet recent studies link it to conditions ranging fromcardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders - to depression,stroke, and several forms of cancer. Consequently, physicians are orderingvitamin D tests in record numbers, straining the send-out budgets of manylabs. Finally, there's a practical, cost-effective alternative for clinicallabs that offers significant improvements over other methodologies: the ESABiosciences Vitamin D HPLC Test for the determination of 25-hydroxyvitamin Din serum or plasma. The ESA test, comprising reagent kit and test system,detects each form of vitamin D individually and automatically reports total25(OH)D, with none of the antibody or protein-binding specificity issuesassociated with existing assays. The ESA Vitamin D HPLC Test provides accurateand specific results as demonstrated through comparison with other methods(HPLC-UV and LC-MS), but offers simplified extraction and lower sample-volumerequirements. The ESA assay is reimbursable (CPT code 82306).
ESA will also feature its CLIA-waived LeadCare(R) II system, which makesblood-lead testing easy. Far simpler to administer than traditional blood-leadtests, the device can be used with a capillary or venous sample, can becombined with other routine waived blood tests, and saves administrative timespent on paperwork, tracking, and follow-up. Most important, it improveshealth outcomes - children with elevated blood-lead levels can receiveimmediate intervention, rather than waiting days or weeks for results andfollow-up treatment from medical providers. LeadCare II tests are reimbursable(CPT code 83655) and cost-effective - allowing health systems to focusresources on those truly at risk.
TREK will demonstrate automated systems and assays that address thegrowing problem of antimicrobial-resistant organisms. The over-prescription ofanti-microbial drugs (choosing a drug that won't stop the bug) andinappropriate dosing both contribute to expanding resistance. As aconsequence, today's infectious-disease doctors are
