NEW YORK – Hologic said Wednesday that it has signed an agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop analyte-specific reagents for laboratory-developed tests to detect H5N1 avian influenza.
The CDC will fund proof-of-concept development of primers and probes that could be incorporated into LDTs for H5N1 influenza testing if the current outbreak worsens. Hologic said it will develop the reagents on its fully automated PCR-based Panther Fusion instrument.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The firm noted that H5N1 influenza has spread among wild birds globally and has caused outbreaks among poultry and dairy cattle in the US. In addition, several infections have been discovered among people who work with farm animals, and illnesses associated with those infections have been mild among US patients but more severe in other countries.
Hologic said it currently does not intend to make the reagents commercially available but may do so "should the need for rapid implementation of H5N1 testing arise."
"Hologic's proven expertise in assay development, innovative instrumentation, and extensive reach uniquely position us well to proactively address ever evolving and emerging public health threats," Jennifer Schneiders, Hologic president of diagnostic solutions, said in a statement.
Laboratory Corporation of America also recently announced that it has launched a molecular test for H5N1 bird flu infections in humans.