Areas
Respiratory
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that identifying the right respiratory testing solutions, and ensuring healthcare providers have the right tools to support optimal patient treatment, are more critical than ever. Prioritisation of seasonal respiratory diagnostics, especially where winter diseases are prevalent, remains essential to governmental policies and global health economies. That’s why we have developed one of the world’s first approved respiratory test panels that differentiates between COVID-19 and other common winter respiratory viruses. Our ongoing work in this field will deliver new products in the respiratory diagnostic market as we continue to drive change in how the world tests for infectious diseases.
Gastroenterology
Each year, there are more than six billion gastrointestinal (GI) infections diagnosed worldwide. Developing countries with limited access to reliable diagnostic testing are particularly adversely affected by the burden of GI infections. Molecular diagnostics can offer valuable insights into patient health, whether it’s for those who are suspected of suffering from a GI infection or those presenting with unexplained GI symptoms. We provide simple and easy-to-use test solutions that can be used closer to the patient, to help speed up diagnosis and provide vital information on gut health, ultimately enabling faster treatment and potentially reducing healthcare costs. At Novacyt, we already provide diagnostic solutions for a wide range of GI infections, and are continuing to invest in this area to broaden our offering.
For information on our gastrointestinal diagnostic products, please contact us.
Insect-borne diseases
Insect or vector-borne diseases are emerging or re-emerging in many geographical areas, especially in tropical and subtropical regions, and they disproportionately affect the poorest populations. The incidence of these diseases is starting to cause concern in terms of both public health threat and economic loss from healthcare expenditure. Besides vector control, the WHO has urged medical organisations to provide technical support to manage cases and outbreaks. Novacyt has established relationships with aid agencies and NGOs, and we are developing diagnostic tools in this sector to provide rapid, accurate results.
For information on our insert-borne disease diagnostic products, please contact us.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
STIs are a major public health concern with more than a million acquired cases reported every day worldwide.1 They have a direct impact on sexual and reproductive health that extends beyond the initial infection, including stigmatisation, infertility, cancers, serious pregnancy complications and increased risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antimicrobial resistance in several sexually transmitted pathogens – including Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium – is on the rise, reducing therapeutic efficacy and complicating STI management. Consequently, testing for major STIs is imperative, and many European countries have established sexual health services with screening programmes. At Novacyt, we offer a range of in vitro testing kits for the reliable detection of various genital pathogens in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients using real-time PCR.
For information on our STI diagnostic products, please contact us.
Nosocomial infections
Nosocomial infections, also referred to as healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), can significantly adversely affect a patient’s health, prolonging their hospital stay and increasing the economic burden of disease on healthcare providers. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the role that healthcare settings play in contributing to the spread of pathogens, and the WHO reports that 15 % of hospitalised patients in developing countries will acquire a nosocomial infection during their stay.2
At Novacyt, we provide fast and reliable testing for two of the most common causes of nosocomial infections: Clostridium difficile and Acinetobacter baumannii. A. baumannii is a multi-drug resistant organism, which is increasingly challenging to manage in healthcare settings, and C. diff is the causative agent of several antibiotic-associated diarrhoeal diseases, accounting for almost half of nosocomial GI infections. Our rapid and accurate testing kits provide clinicians with clear diagnoses to ultimately prevent the spread of nosocomial infections, guide appropriate patient management and reduce the risk of widespread outbreaks.
For information on A. baumannii and C. diff diagnostic products, please contact us.
Tropical fever
In the last few decades, large-scale migration, tourism and climate-driven migration of insect vectors have increased the incidence of tropical infections. This has resulted in outbreaks of new diseases, such as Ebola, and the re-emergence of diseases that were once considered controlled, such as dengue fever. Climate change is also causing more widespread dispersal of tropical fevers; once-temperate climates in Europe are reporting more infections than ever before due to high temperatures and extreme weather. Here at Novacyt, we provide diagnostic test methods for a range of tropical infections, including malaria, Usutu, chikungunya, dengue, Zika, Ebola, West Nile Virus and monkeypox, to provide fast and accurate guidance for treatment.
For information on our diagnostic products for tropical infections, please contact us.
Hepatitis viruses
Inflammation of the liver known as hepatitis can be caused by several different viruses, including hepatitis A, B, C, D and even E. Chronic cases of hepatitis can result in scarring of the liver, loss of liver function and, in some cases, liver cancer. The mode of acquisition, severity, duration and treatment all depend on the virus, so obtaining a reliable diagnosis is essential to direct patient management. Real-time PCR is the most sensitive method to do this, which is why we provide PCR diagnostic tools for our customers to detect and differentiate hepatitis viruses in patients.
For information on diagnostic products for hepatitis viruses, please contact us.
1. WHO. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
2. WHO launches first ever global report on infection prevention and control. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-05-2022-who-launches-first-ever-global-report-on-infection-prevention-and-control
3. TORCH Infections. Toxoplasmosis, Other (syphilis, varicella-zoster, parvovirus B19), Rubella, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Herpes infections – PubMed. Accessed November 23, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12150751/
Future interests
We are also considering additional unmet needs in infectious diseases including urinary tract infections (UTI), meningitis/encephalitis and sepsis.