Detects All Known Strains of H5N1 Virus with
a Single Test
The
close collaboration between scientists from the Experimental Therapeutics
Centre (ETC) under the Agency for Science and Technology Research (A*STAR) and
clinicians from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) has enabled the successful
development of the most comprehensive and rapid H5N1 bird flu test kit
available to date.
With
this highly advanced kit, doctors can now rapidly detect all existing strains
of the H5N1 viruses in a single test with almost 100% accuracy, within a few
hours. This is a big boost to public healthcare system and a great stride
forward in pandemic preparedness against this highly infectious disease
worldwide.
The
bird flu virus, scientifically termed as the Avian Influenza virus, is usually
lethal to the birds and normally does not transmit to humans. However, highly
lethal and contagious strains like H5N1 Avian Influenza A virus that can 'jump'
from birds to human have been reported to cause serious infections and even
death rates as high as 60% in infected patients .
Although
anti-viral treatment is available, the potential for H5N1 bird flu virus to
spark a pandemic remains a serious threat to public health as most humans do
not have immunity to the H5N1 virus. Therefore, to successfully curb the spread
of the disease during an outbreak, accuracy and speed of detection on the type
of H5N1 virus is of essence for effective infection control intervention and
patient management.
The
current gold standard for H5N1 detection recommended by the World Health
Organization (WHO) is only able to detect three out of the 10 distinct genetic
groups (clades 1, 2 and 3). To detect all existing strains of H5N1 with the WHO
detection method would not be possible. The made-in-Singapore H5N1 test kit,
which is more accurately known as the H5N1 real-time Reverse Transcription
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) assay, is the only detection kit currently
available on the market that can accurately and rapidly detect all known
strains of the H5N1 Avian Influenza A virus in a single test within a matter of
hours.
Co-developed
by Dr Masafumi Inoue, a Senior Research Scientist and Project Director of
Technology Development from ETC and Dr Timothy Barkham, a senior consultant of
Laboratory Medicine from TTSH, this newly launched H5N1 test kit has been
clinically validated by several hospitals in Southeast Asia.
"We
are excited to be able to contribute to the fight against H5N1 virus with our
expertise and know-how. Our technology has greatly simplified and accelerated
the process of detection and identification of new H5N1 variants. Such
information is especially critical when the virus mutates to become more
dangerous, such as in drug resistance." said Dr Inoue. (See video release
on interview with Dr Inoue
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To
enhance its usability, this new H5N1 test kit is also purposefully designed to
be compatible with the previously launched "4-plex" Influenza
diagnostic kit . The latter is already adopted for use by several regional
hospitals in Thailand. Using such multiplex assays enables simultaneous
detection and differentiation of the different types of influenza infection in
a single test, which will save hospital labs and clinicians significant time
and cost.
"While
there have not been any reported H5N1 cases in Singapore, this mutating subtype
of influenza virus type A continues to be a concern. The ability to detect and
characterise influenza strains remains important in the management of the
disease. With this latest H5N1 assay, we can easily combine it with our
previous 4-plex Influenza kit to differentiate which strain of Influenza is
present with one test, giving a definite diagnosis and faster turnaround for
our patients and our colleagues in infection control and public health,"
said Dr Barkham.
Local
Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), AITbiotech Pte Ltd, a regional provider of
genomic services and molecular diagnostics kits, has recently signed a licence
agreement with Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL), the technology transfer arm
of A*STAR, to market this H5N1 kit regionally.
"The
new H5N1 test kit from A*STAR is a significant addition to AITbiotech's
existing portfolio of products for Influenza virus screening and surveillance.
In light of the recent H5N1 outbreak in this region, we believe that this test
can play a vital role for governments and public health institutions to
effectively fight and control the outspread of any H5N1 virus", said Mr
Alex Thian, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AITbiotech.
Previously,
AITbiotech has acquired several other molecular diagnostic licenses from ETPL
for swine flu mutation surveillance and for multiple pathogens detection,
including Dengue, Chikungunya and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.
"Licensing
these highly sophisticated assays from A*STAR has given AITbiotech a
springboard into the highly competitive market of Molecular Diagnostics. With
our expanded capabilities, we are now able to provide a comprehensive suite of
diagnostic services for a range of infectious diseases to the research,
healthcare and biomedical industries in Singapore and Asia," added Mr
Thian.
"This
collaboration between A*STAR, TTSH and AITbiotech is a great example of how
public and private sectors can partner to drive impact in Singapore's
healthcare and biomedical industries. We remain committed in our role to
transfer A*STAR technologies to help SMEs like AITbiotech stay competitive by
delivering products with direct societal benefits," said Philip Lim, CEO
of ETPL.
About Exploit
Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL)
Exploit
Technologies is the technology transfer arm of the Agency for Science,
Technology and Research (A*STAR). Its mission is to support A*STAR in
transforming the economy through commercialising R&D. Exploit Technologies
enhances the research output of A*STAR scientists by translating their
inventions into marketable products or processes.
Through
licensing deals with industry partners and spin-offs, Exploit Technologies is a
key driver of technology transfer in Singapore. It actively engages industry
leaders and players to commercialise A*STAR's technologies and capabilities,
bridging the gap from Mind to Market. Exploit Technologies' charter is to
identify, protect and exploit promising intellectual property (IP) created by
A*STAR's research institutes. For more information, please visit www.exploit-tech.com .
About the Experimental Therapeutics Centre
(ETC)
ETC was
set up in 2006 to play an increasingly important role in translating early
stage scientific discoveries into practical applications. From engaging in
early stage drug discovery and development to developing innovative research
tools for clinical analysis, as well as setting up public-private partnerships
to facilitate the advancement of drug candidates, ETC augments Singapore's
capabilities and resources in the drug discovery process. ETC's capabilities
and resources are currently focused on oncology and infectious diseases. It
also incubates new technologies for commercialisation and mentors young
scientists for careers in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. For more
information about ETC, visit www.etc.a-star.edu.sg .
TTSH is
one of Singapore's largest multi-disciplinary hospitals with more than 160
years of pioneering medical care and development. The hospital has 36 clinical
and allied health departments, 15 specialist centres and is powered by more
than 6,000 healthcare staff. TTSH sees over 2,000 patients at its specialist
clinics and some 460 patients at its emergency department every day. TTSH is
part of the National Healthcare Group, providing holistic and integrated
patient care.
With a
strong quality culture steeped in patient safety, TTSH constantly challenges
itself to provide faster, better, cheaper and safer care for patients. To
achieve this, the hospital keeps abreast and believes in investing in its
staff, facilities, medical technology and system improvements. In recognition
of its commitment to excellent patient care and its comprehensive range of
quality healthcare services, TTSH has been awarded the ISO 9001 certification
and the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. For
more information, please visit www.ttsh.com.sg .
Follow us at TTSH.fbadd.me.
About AITBIOTECH Pte Ltd
AITBIOTECH
is leading Genomic Services and MDx company based in Singapore. Founded by Alex
Thian in 2006, it has a core services and R&D laboratory in Singapore
managed by a team of experienced biotechnologists. It provides a complete suite
of Genomic Services including DNA Synthesis, Next Generation Sequencing
Services, CE DNA Sequencing Services, Bioinformatics Services, PCR and Plasmid
Prep Services, MDx PCR Assays and Kits to the research, healthcare and
biomedical industries in Singapore and Asia. For more information, please visit www.AITBiotech.com .
About A*STAR
The
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is the lead agency for
fostering world-class scientific research and talent for a vibrant
knowledge-based and innovation-driven Singapore. A*STAR oversees 14 biomedical
sciences and physical sciences and engineering research institutes, and six
consortia and centres, located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis as well as their
immediate vicinity. A*STAR supports Singapore's key economic clusters by
providing intellectual, human and industrial capital to its partners in
industry. It also supports extramural research in universities, hospitals,
research centres, and with other local and international partners. For more
information about A*STAR, visit www.a-star.edu.sg .
Source:
A*STAR
