Chagas Assay Introduced
VIROTROL Chagas was recently launched by Bio-Rad Laboratories, Incorporated following approval from the FDA last fall. The product is a liquid stable, third party control. The test is an external quality control for laboratories evaluating the presence of antibodies for Trypansoma cruzi (T. cruzi), which is implicated in Chagas disease. The new product approval was described on the Bio-Rad website.
Utilizing the VIROTROL Chagas from Bio-Rad provides a quality control system for labs to monitor ongoing test procedures for quality. It was designed for use with automated laboratory system and is packaged in small vials. The test can be used in the same manner as patient samples.
An additional product from Bio-Rad that can be used with the VIROTROL Chagas is the Unity Interlaboratory Program. This system is a complete data management solution intended to promote quality assurance efforts.
Chagas is a disease resulting from a parasite most commonly found in South and Central America in rural areas. It has been gaining attention in the U.S. as cases have been diagnosed in California. An additional concern is that the disease may be transmitted through blood or organs used for transplantation, as described by HospitalBuyer. A test to evaluate the presence of the disease was approved by the FDA in 2006.
January 10, 2008 Related topics: Infectious Diseases, Product Approval & Certification, Diagnostic