BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) , a leading global medical technology company announced that it obtained U.S. FDA clearance for the BD MAX™ CT/GC/TV assay, which is also CE marked in Europe, Canada and Australia and launched there in spring of 2015.
The BD MAX CT/GC/TV assay provides health care providers the ability to detect for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) from a single specimen in just one test.
CT, GC and TV are among the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 2.86 million new chlamydial infections and 820,000 gonorrheal infections each year.1,2 Trichomoniasis, a much neglected STI until recently, ranks third among all common STIs after HPV and Chlamydia, with nearly an estimated 1.1 million new infections each year in the U.S.3 Although most of these infections are asymptomatic, they can have serious consequences if left unaddressed, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancies, infertility, pre-term or low birth-weight babies and increased risk of STI transmission or infection (including HIV) in males and females.
Trichomonas can be difficult to diagnose with manual methods, and despite its high prevalence in many populations, awareness remains low. The CDC 2015 guidance recommends the use of highly sensitive and specific tests, such as nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) technology, as the recommended test for Trichomonas detection.
The BD MAX CT/GC/TV assay allows health care providers to detect these common and addressable STIs from a single specimen in just one test. Specimen collection options are flexible, allowing for male or female urines, self-collected vaginal swabs and clinician collected endocervical swabs. Once samples are loaded onto the BD MAX System, results will be ready in less than three hours, and all reagents are ready-to-use and can be stored at room temperature.
"The FDA clearance and launch of the BD MAX CT/GC/TV assay in the U.S. brings a “one-test” approach to detect for three sexually transmitted infections,” said Doug White, vice president and general manager of Molecular Diagnostics and Women’s Health for BD. “This represents just one of several expansions to the BD MAX portfolio in 2016, as BD continues to expand the capabilities of the platform with a focus on comprehensive syndromic solutions with an emphasis on improving clinical outcomes and laboratory efficiency.”
The BD MAX System offers an efficient path to accurate, reproducible, clinically actionable results ― often in less time than conventional methods ― through automated nucleic acid extraction, real-time PCR amplification and detection. System flexibility and standardization allow health care providers to address a wide breadth of testing needs. The BD MAX System is part of the Diagnostic Systems portfolio of molecular solutions from BD. For more information on BD Molecular Diagnostics, please visit: http://moleculardiagnostics.bd.com
About BD
BD is a global medical technology company that is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. BD leads in patient and health care worker safety and the technologies that enable medical research and clinical laboratories. The company provides innovative solutions that help advance medical research and genomics, enhance the diagnosis of infectious disease and cancer, improve medication management, promote infection prevention, equip surgical and interventional procedures, optimize respiratory care and support the management of diabetes. The company partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. BD has more than 45,000 associates across 50 countries who work in close collaboration with customers and partners to help enhance outcomes, lower health care delivery costs, increase efficiencies, improve health care safety and expand access to health. For more information on BD, please visit www.bd.com .
