Leading Physicians to Discuss “Advances in Bacterial Testing of Platelets: BacTx Field Experience” at American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Annual Meeting
BOSTON, MA — October 2, 2012 — Bacterial contamination of platelets is the greatest infectious risk of blood transfusion today — and preventing it has become a priority for transfusion safety.
Two leading physicians will discuss their experience with Immunetics’ BacTx® rapid test — which addresses that priority and which can detect bacterial contamination by clinically relevant species in less than one hour — at the upcoming AABB Annual Meeting on Oct. 8th in Boston.
BacTx was FDA cleared in June 2012 as a quality control test for up to 6 units of leukocyte-reduced whole blood-derived platelets pooled within 4 hours of transfusion. The clearance was based in part on the results of clinical trials presented by W. Andrew Heaton, M.D., Sr. Director of Transfusion Medicine, NSLIJ Health System; and Michael R. Jacobs, M.D. Ph.D., Director, Clinical Microbiology, University Hospitals, Case Medical Center.
The two physicians will discuss their clinical trials at the AABB workshop titled, “Advances in Bacterial Testing of Platelets: BacTx Field Experience,” on Monday, Oct. 8, 2012, from 7 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. in Room 253A of the Boston Convention Center.
An estimated 1 in 2,000 platelet units is contaminated with bacteria — and medical studies are increasingly showing that such contamination is a significant cause of illness and death among transfusion recipients. Worldwide, more than 10 million platelet units are collected per year.
For more information, about the BacTx rapid test for bacterial contamination in platelet units, visit Immunetics at booth #662 at the AABB Annual Meeting & CTTXPO 2012, Oct. 6 to 9, 2012, in the Boston Convention Center, Boston. Or, visit the Immunetics website at https://immunetics.com/bactx.html, or call 1-617-896-9100 or toll-free 1-800-227-4765.
Immunetics has issued patents on the BacTx technology, which was initially developed with support from the National Institutes of Health. The company has developed and markets other FDA-cleared products, including a test for Lyme disease, and is actively working on new tests for Babesiosis and Chagas disease — both of which are emerging risks to the blood supply.
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About Immunetics
Immunetics Inc. (http://www.immunetics.com) offers state-of-the-art assay technology for infectious disease diagnosis and blood screening, and for more than ten years has been a leading innovator of tests for bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases. The company produces and markets a range of infectious disease assay kits and instruments. Its mission is to deliver better, cost-efficient care through more accurate diagnosis. Immunetics is headquartered in Boston. Follow Immunetics on Twitter at http://twitter.com/immunetics.