HOD HASHARON, Israel,
March 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- BATM (LSE: BVC) (TASE: BVC), a
leading provider of real-time technologies for networking solutions
and medical laboratory systems, announces that it has developed a
new method for the rapid and comprehensive diagnosis of
tuberculosis ("TB"). The testing and validation phase, which is
expected to commence in the second half of this year, will be fully
funded under a programme of the Stop TB Partnership, an
international alliance comprising a wide range of governmental and
non-governmental organisations.
The new method combines a one-step PCR test, developed by the
Group's Adaltis subsidiary, with testing on the NATlab instrument
using the new isothermal RCA process developed by the Group's Ador
Diagnostics associate company. The PCR test diagnoses if someone is
infected with TB and, if they test positive, the NATlab system is
used to identify the strain of TB and its resistance to antibiotics
(including rifampicin, isoniazid and quinolones). This process,
which tests the same sample in both phases, is expected to produce
results in approximately two hours, compared with several days for
the current commonly used methods that often rely on incubation to
determine antibiotic resistance after a patient has been diagnosed
as infected with TB.
The Group presented this new method, which is being developed
with the cooperation of a leading university in Italy, to the Stop TB Partnership at the end
of 2019 and, following ongoing discussions, has now received the
organisation's backing. The testing and validation of the solution
will take place at the University of Heidelberg and will be fully
funded under a programme of the Stop TB Partnership.
Following the testing and validation phase, which is expected to
begin in the second half of this year, the Group anticipates
commencing sales of the new test next year.
Dr Zvi Marom, CEO of BATM,
said: "We are very excited about our new method for the
diagnosis of TB and we are delighted to receive the support of the
Stop TB Partnership and to work with the University of Heidelberg.
We believe that our new method, which utilises the advanced
technologies of Adaltis and, in particular, the NATlab of Ador,
will be particularly crucial in preventing the spread of
drug-resistant TB strains. We also expect our solution to be more
affordable and accessible than those used today.
"The devastating health, social and economic consequences of TB
have been with us for centuries and are still here today. It is
vital that we develop innovative solutions and systems that will
enable this disease, which is a leading cause of death but is both
preventable and curable, to be eradicated. Thanks to the advances
in molecular diagnostics, we are entering a new era in the fight
against infectious diseases. I believe that BATM has an important
role to play in this as we focus on developing new, innovative
technologies while continuing to provide critical solutions to
combat COVID-19."
Further information
The Stop TB Partnership was established in 2001 to eliminate
tuberculosis as a public health problem. It consists of over 1,700
partners in more than 100 countries, including international and
technical organisations, government programmes, research and
funding agencies, foundations, non-governmental organisations,
community groups and members from the private sector. The
secretariat is based in Geneva,
Switzerland, and, since 2015, has been administered by UNOPS
(the United Nations Office for Project Services). Prior to this, it
was hosted by the World Health Organization ("WHO").
TB is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and the
leading (non-pandemic) cause from a single infectious agent.
Drug-resistance, which can emerge through the prescription of
incorrect treatment, and multi-drug resistant TB is an increasing
public health issue and a health security threat. In addition, the
WHO estimates that three million cases go undiagnosed each year. TB
can also cause other severe illnesses, such as meningitis. However,
with rapid and accurate diagnosis, TB is preventable, treatable and
curable in most cases.
The Group's one-step PCR test can be used with any standard PCR
instrument and takes less than an hour and the testing with the
NATlab system takes approximately 30-60 minutes. Consequently, with
the Group's solution, which is designed to be used at the
point-of-care, the particular strain of TB is identified within two
hours, which enables the correct treatment to be prescribed
straightaway. By contrast, with current methods, many patients do
not return to receive treatment due to the delay of several days
between testing and diagnosis. Rapid and accurate testing also
has the potential to reach those who are infected and
undiagnosed.
Enquiries:
BATM Advanced Communications
Dr Zvi Marom, Chief Executive
Officer
Moti Nagar, Chief Financial
Officer
+972-9866-2525
Shore Capital
Mark Percy, Anita Ghanekar, James
Thomas (Corporate Advisory)
Henry Willcocks (Corporate
Broking)
+44-20-7408-4050
Luther Pendragon
Harry Chathli, Claire Norbury
+44-20-7618-9100
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SOURCE Batm Advanced Communication