NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Becton Dickinson announced today that it has signed a development and global distribution agreement with Euroclone for molecular tests to detect emerging sexually transmitted diseases.
The molecular assays in development will provide an increased likelihood of patients receiving proper diagnoses and therapy whether or not they exhibit symptoms. The assays will also bolster antimicrobial stewardship in clinical laboratories and help institutions comply with European STI screening guidelines.
Running on the BD Max system, the assays will detect infectious genital mycoplasmas, including species of Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma. The fully-automated platform performs nucleic acid extraction and real-time PCR, providing results for up to 24 samples in less than three hours.
Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma variants are challenging to diagnose by conventional methods, and they can cause immediate and long-term consequences if not properly identified and treated.
The assays will also detect resistance markers of common drug therapies including macrolides, a group of antibiotics often used as first-line treatment for STIs, enabling physicians to prescribe an appropriate course of antibiotic therapy for patients.
BD and Euroclone plan to develop and commercialize the assays outside the US beginning in 2018 and in the US at a later date.
"BD and Euroclone share a passion for reducing the risks associated with undiagnosed STIs, as well as the burden of symptoms that impact the lives of many worldwide," BD VP of Women's Health and Molecular Diagnostics Doug White said in a statement.