Myconostica CE marks Aspergillus assay
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
UK diagnostics firm Myconostica has CE marked its MycAssay Aspergillus test for sale in Europe. The diagnostic uses real-time PCR to identify the genus of fungus, one of the most common causes of fungal pneumonia. It could improve patient survival, as it can provide results within three hours – when used with Myconostica's fungal DNA extraction system, MycXtra – compared with up to 10 days for conventional methods. Diagnosis of Aspergillus infection and subsequent antifungal treatments within 10 days reduces mortality from 90% to 40%. Pneumonia caused by Aspergillus is the leading cause of infectious death in leukaemia and bone marrow cancer patients, with around 10 million people at risk each year worldwide, the Manchester-based company estimates.