NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – PathoQuest, an Institut Pasteur spinout, said today that it has received CE marking for iDTECT Blood, a next-generation sequencing-based metagenomics test for blood pathogens.
The "sample-to-report" test is designed to detect bacteria and viruses in blood samples from patients with suspected infections, especially immunocompromised patients, PathoQuest said.
With the CE mark, PathoQuest will now offer the test through an early-access program in selected countries, the company said.
"We believe iDTECT Blood will contribute to improved antibiotic stewardship and precision medicine strategies in infectious diseases, ultimately leading to better patient care" PathoQuest Chief Medical Officer Helene Peyro-Saint-Paul said in a statement.
Olivier Lortholary, professor and chair of the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris, noted that in certain clinical situations, especially when a patient is immunocompromised, culture and PCR tests are often unable to provide sufficient information to select the most appropriate targeted anti-infective therapy.
"With the availability of iDTECT Blood, clinicians will be able to expand their experience on the basis of the results already obtained in a proof-of-concept study completed at Necker-Enfants Malades and Européen Georges Pompidou hospitals on a cohort of over 100 immunocompromised patients," Lortholary added.