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In the first presentation, MicroPhage scientists reported that their novelplatform to simultaneously identify Staphylococcus aureus bloodstreaminfections and determine antibiotic resistance or susceptibility can providehighly accurate results in just 5 hours. The current standard of care is 48-72 hours for the same determinations.
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Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus account for 400,000 deaths ayear and the methicillin-resistant strains, known as MRSA, now account fornearly half of all S. aureus infections. Current test methods are too slowto allow doctors to make prompt treatment decisions. As a result, manyantibiotics are over or under prescribed. This leads to proliferation ofdrug-resistant strains and suboptimal treatment of infected patients.
"The simplicity, accuracy and speed of the MicroPhage procedure givesclinicians a valuable tool to obtain diagnostic information they need to makethe right therapeutic decisions to treat serious bacterial infections," saidDrew Smith, PhD, director of research and development for MicroPhage.
In a laboratory model of 240 strains of bacteria, the MicroPhage test hadan excellent detection rate for S. aureus of 93 percent, while alsodetermining methicillin resistance or susceptibility (MRSA or MSSA) at greaterthan 98 percent reliability, which is superior to several commerciallyavailable tests.
Nasal screening for MRSA and antibiotic susceptibility testing
For research reported in the second presentation, nasal swabs werecollected at a community hospital and a tertiary care center in Colorado toscreen patients for MRSA. The MicroPhage assay showed excellent specificityand sensitivity and laboratory personnel required only a short trainingsession.
"The study showed the test procedure is easy to learn and execute andrequires no specialized, dedicated equipment," said Smith. "Further, it is aflexible procedure that can be used in a variety of testing and reportingscenarios."
In their third presentation, MicroPhage researchers demonstrated thebreadth of the technology platform, showing that several antibiotics could betested accurately to provide an easy-to-use method to guide antibiotictherapy. In this study, it was demonstrated that eight different antibioticscould be tested using bacteriophage amplification technology with an accuracyof 95 percent or greater on 184 total strains tested.
By contrast, physicians do not have antibiotic testing information whenthey prescribe these drugs for suspected infections. MicroPhage is the firstcompany to present research showing that an easy-to-use diagnostic, similar tothat of a pregnancy test, could help guide appropriate antibiotic prescribingin hospitals and other clinical settings.
Easy-to-use, natural detection technology
The MicroPhage system has two incubation tubes for incubating bloodculture specimens. After five hours, the incubated samples are added to twodipstick-like detectors. One detector shows if the sample is infected withstaph bacteria and the other indicates the antibiotic susceptibility of thebacterial strain.
MicroPhage has adapted bacteriophage amplification technology, a naturalbiologic process, for detecting staph infections. "Phages" are viruses thatmultiply aggressively when exposed to the target bacteria. In the detectionprocess, reaction of the bacteriophage proteins on the test strip indicatesthe sample is positive for staph bacteria. For susceptibility analysis, theorganism in the sample is challenged with an antibiotic. Because phagesdepend on host bacteria for growth, any compound that kills or inhibits themicrobe will stop phage growth. Only resistant strains allow multiplicationof phages and yield a positive signal on the detector strip. Furtherinformation about the technology is available athttp://www.microphage.com/technology.
About MicroPhage
Based in Longmont, Colo. and privately held, MicroPhage, Inc. is workingto be a global leader in developing rapid diagnostics products for bacterialidentification and antibiotic susceptibility/resistance testing. Using itsbacteriophage-based amplification platform, the company has developed apatented process that is a product platform or engine for rapid, easy-to-use,inexpensive diagnostic tests. Its first products, expected in late 2009,will set a new standard for clinicians in MRSA identification and antibioticsusceptibility testing, and are designed to fit the demands of hospitals andlaboratories of all sizes. For further information, go tohttp://www.microphage.com.
SOURCE MicroPhage, Inc.
