Axis-Shield launches anti-CCP arthritis test on new analyser
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Axis-Shield and Technogenetics have launched an anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) test, which runs on Technogenetics' Zenit RA system, outside the US. Axis-Shield's anti-CCP assays, which are designed to detect rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at an early stage, are already available on several other platforms including Bio-Rad Laboratories' BioPlex 2200 and Abbott's Architect family of analysers. The new test and system will be marketed by Italian firm Menarini, which has exclusive European distribution rights. CCP antibodies can appear in patients' blood before the onset of arthritis symptoms, and Axis-Shield claims that anti-CCP testing is more specific than rheumatoid factor, a traditional RA diagnostic.