Procalcitonin Assay Will Help Determine Patients' Risk for Severe Sepsis

In the United States, more than 750,000 patients develop severe sepsis each year. The number of cases of severe sepsis is increasing because of the emergence of drug-resistant microorganisms due to the widespread use of antibiotics. Despite an enormous investment in critical care resources, severe sepsis mortality ranges from 28-50%.

Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics (Tarrytown, NY USA) has signed an agreement with Brahms Aktiengesellschaft (Hennigsdorf, Germany) for the rights to develop, produce, and distribute the PCT test. Brahms Aktiengesellschaft will have the exclusive distribution rights in relevant European markets for the PCT test manufactured by Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics under the Brahms' license. Siemens will distribute the test to markets outside Europe. The PCT test has already received regulatory approvals in Japan and the United States. Outside Europe, the licensed PCT test will be available on both the Advia Centaur and Immulite immunoassay platforms from Siemens, whereas in Europe the licensed PCT test will only be available on the Advia Centaur platform.

"Early diagnosis and appropriate therapy of sepsis is a daily challenge in intensive care units,” said Joe Bernardo, senior vice president, Central Lab Testing, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics. "This agreement highlights the enormous potential to help attending physicians recognize clinically relevant bacterial infections and estimate the risk of a septic complication, which can often have fatal consequences. Our goal is to focus on new opportunities to provide the diagnostic tools necessary to diagnose and treat millions of patients. This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to that goal.”

"The co-operation with Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics for now completes our strategic alliances on Procalcitonin aimed to allow diagnostic laboratories all over the world the access to one of the clinically most relevant biomarkers,” stated Herbert Sucka, chief marketing officer of Brahms.


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Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics
Brahms Aktiengesellschaft