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The Forum follows a report last month from the World Health Organization(WHO) revealing that drug resistant tuberculosis has hit the highest levelsever recorded. According to a survey of over 90,000 TB patients in 81countries, the WHO found that levels of multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB were farhigher then expected. The survey also found cases in 45 countries ofextensively drug resistant TB, which is virtually untreatable.
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At the DC Forum Dr Harry is participating in a panel which will address'Needs and Opportunities in Diagnostics: Creating Sustainable Solutions forthe Developing World', and will draw on Proteome Systems' experience in itscurrent development program for a rapid and accurate TB diagnostic test.
Proteome System's test aims to directly detect active TB by the presenceof TB in the human body allowing for effective and timely treatment. It isplanned that the test will diagnose TB within minutes, whereas the currenttests for active TB take days to weeks. This will be a significant benefit inthe management of this highly infectious disease.
The WHO estimates that there is an annual need for over 193 millionpoint-of-care diagnostic tests for TB.
Proteome Systems has a collaboration and licensing agreement to advancethe development and commercialization of the active TB diagnostic tests.
According to the US National Institute of Health, 8 million peopleworldwide, mostly in poorer countries where HIV is prevalent, develop activeTB each year and 3 million die.
The other panelists with Dr Harry include: Jan Gheuens, MD, PhD(moderator), Senior Program Officer, Global Health Technologies, Bill &Melinda Gates Foundation; Gary M. Cohen, President, BD Medical, BD;Jean-Francois de Lavison, President, European Diagnostic ManufacturersAssociation; Lawrence A. Siebert, President and CEO, Chembio Diagnostics Inc.,and Karen Hedine, President and CEO, Micronics.
Dr Harry said rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical to arresttransmission and to treat TB patients effectively and responsibly. "Theprimary need is for simple confirmatory and screening tests to distinguishactive TB from other conditions with similar symptoms. The PXL test aims toallow direct detection of active TB in sputum and/or blood in a cost effectivepoint of care format for rapid diagnosis," Dr Harry said.
About Proteome Systems
Proteome Systems Limited [ASX: PXL] is an Australian based diagnosticscompany that has extensive expertise in discovering biomarkers of disease andin diagnostic test development. Its focus is on clinical, nutritional,agricultural and environmental applications where there are large globalmarkets and an unmet need for diagnostics.
Proteome Systems offers commercial partners a clear marketing advantagethrough its expertise in the development of novel, point-of-need diagnostictests based on its proprietary test platform, DiagnostIQ(TM). It has thecapability to work across the entire spectrum of diagnostic test development-- from identification and isolation of biomarkers, through point-of-need testdesign, clinical development or field testing to final product.
A collaboration and licensing deal has been entered into with BectonDickinson to exploit PXL's biomarkers for the development of new TB diagnosticproducts. The Company also has a long standing working relationship with BayerCropScience for the manufacture and sale of a WheatRite(R) test for cropquality, and for the development
