Tag: Gerd Luedke

Company News: Curetis Obtains Key Patent for Unyvero™ Technology

–      Australian patent office grants patent for integrated amplification and detection in Unyvero™ cartridges

–      Patent covers unique combination of end-point PCR with array-based detection

Curetis AG, a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced that it has been granted a core technology patent by IP Australia, the Australian patent office, for its Unyvero™ platform technology. The patent, “Reaction Vessel For PCR Device and Method of Performing PCR,” is the first of several core technology patents filed by Curetis. Its claims cover PCR chamber vessels allowing the integrated amplification and detection of DNA sequences. Curetis has submitted patent applications covering this technology in other key regions, including Europe, the U.S. and Japan. The Company expects these additional patents to be granted in the near future.

Further patents covering additional aspects of the Unyvero™ Solution, e.g. the unique sample lysis technology, are pending.

Company News: Curetis Presents First Data on Novel Unyvero™ i60 ITI Application for Implant and Tissue Infections

New cartridge detects 114 targets

Roll-out in collaboration with Heraeus Medical expected in early 2014

Curetis AG today announced first details on its new Unyvero™ i60 ITI application for the diagnosis of implant and tissue infections. The cartridge has been developed in close collaboration with Heraeus Medical GmbH, a company focused on orthopedic biomaterials. The data were presented at this year´s 65th Joint Annual Meeting of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology and the German Society for Infectious Diseases (DGHM/DGI 2013) in Rostock, Germany.

The new Unyvero™ System cartridge covers a broad range of infections common after abdominal as well as bone and joint surgery, trauma (e.g. burns) or skin and soft tissue infections, including diabetic foot disease. In combination with the unique Unyvero™ L4 Lysator it is also possible to process biofilm samples, an important prerequisite for the fast and reliable diagnosis of implant infections (catheters, joints etc.).

The multiplex panel of the novel i60 application covers a total of 114 targets – 91 pathogens (gram-negative & gram-positive bacteria and fungi) and 23 resistance markers – relevant for eight clinical indications. At the conference, Curetis presented data from first evaluation studies demonstrating that the panel is able to detect pathogens in orthopedic and surgically relevant fresh and frozen samples, such as synovial and sonication fluids, swabs, and tissue material. All results were confirmed by standard microbiology culture. Of note, the i60 application also detected additional pathogens not covered by standard methods, e.g. anaerobic bacteria known to be involved in biofilm-formation on orthopedic implants.

Following the successful completion of assay development, Curetis is now running validation and verification tests. The company aims to run a clinical CE performance evaluation study this fall with a goal of obtaining CE-IVD marking for the Unyvero™ i60 ITI cartridge by the end of 2013.