Molecular Detection Inc. (MDI), a company developing Detect-Ready tests designed to increase the speed and accuracy of infectious disease diagnosis, and life sciences and diagnostics distributor Eldan, a part on the Neopharm Group, announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement for distribution of MDI’s Detect-Ready MRSA Panel in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is a qualitative real-time PCR in vitro diagnostic test that is marketed in the European Union (EU) and Australia and is in late-stage development in the US. The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is CE-marked for the detection of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and MSSA (methicillin-sensitive S. aureus) and is the only marketed PCR-based MRSA screening test with the proven ability to accurately discriminate between these pathogens and other related bacteria. This new agreement adds to MDI’s growing global network of leading distribution partners.

This new distribution agreement follows MDI’s announcement last week that it has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a patent application covering a key aspect of its technology that accurately distinguishes between samples containing MRSA, MSSA and mixed populations of bacteria. The methods covered in the new patent, which are broadly applicable to all antibiotic-resistant bacteria, add legal backing to a growing body of independent data confirming that the Detect-Ready panel is the most technically advanced MRSA screening test available today.

“This agreement with Eldan extends our strategy of partnering our Detect-Ready MRSA Panel with major distributors in key territories around the globe,” said Todd Wallach, CEO of MDI. “For over 50 years, Eldan has been providing high quality scientific and medical products to a wide range of customers, and we believe they will be a major asset in driving market acceptance of the Detect-Ready MRSA Panel in Israel. Our Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is based on proprietary technologies developed in our Israeli laboratories, so it is fitting that this advanced test is now available to healthcare institutions throughout Israel and in the Palestinian territories.”

Drug-resistant, potentially deadly MRSA infections are a growing problem in healthcare facilities around the world. The Detect-Ready Panel’s high degree of accuracy and ability to discriminate between key S. aureus pathogens results from its proprietary differential diagnosis technology, which produces highly accurate data that minimize the false positive results experienced with other MRSA screening tests and ensure that clinicians and healthcare facilities have the timely and reliable information they need to assess patient risk at the time of admission. Samples for testing are simple to obtain using nasal swabs and the kit’s ready-to-use pre-mixed reagents require only the addition of patient sample to run the test, which provides results in less than three hours.

“The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is an excellent addition to our portfolio of advanced products for the clinical diagnostics market,” said Yaron Yaniv, CEO of Eldan. “We believe that our well-established reputation for professionalism, high quality products and outstanding service will help us achieve good acceptance of the Detect-Ready MRSA Panel, a high-performance screening test providing an unmatched combination of accuracy, speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness.”

Unlike other testing products that require special handling, Detect-Ready kits are off-the-shelf room temperature-stabilized and require no refrigeration.
The Detect-Ready MRSA Panel is currently available in the UK, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Drug-resistant MRSA and MSSA infections are a growing problem in healthcare facilities around the world. Patients in hospitals are at increased risk for these infections, which can be spread by medical personnel and instruments, or from exposure to bacteria on furniture or other surfaces. The incidence of these infections has been rising, and some experts estimate that over 60% of hospital-acquired S. aureus infections are now antibiotic-resistant. MSSA strains are of particular concern for surgery patients where bloodstream infection can lead to life threatening illness. Screening programs are increasingly being used to prevent the spread of these infections, which lead to increased disability and death among hospital patients and also generate high costs for healthcare providers and for the healthcare system as a whole.

Molecular Detection Inc. (MDI), a US-based company with offices in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Tunbridge Wells, UK and Jerusalem, Israel, is developing and commercializing a portfolio of sample-to-answer Detect-Ready molecular diagnostic tests for the detection of infectious diseases.

Eldan, established in 1960, is a privately owned company and part of the Neopharm Group. Eldan specializes in import, marketing, sales and servicing of medical diagnostic, analytical and scientific equipment, as well as isotopes and biological substances for medical and biotechnological use and for scientific research.