Infectious diseases are becoming increasingly difficult to manage, so it’s critical for laboratories to be prepared to handle sudden surges in demand for diagnostic testing during seasonal peaks and in worst-case scenarios, such as pandemics.1
Medix Biochemica empowers developers of infectious disease tests by providing a comprehensive portfolio of over 5 000 high-quality antibodies, antigens, enzymes, biospecimens and molecular reagents for use in in vitro diagnostics (IVD).1 With our customers in mind, in November 2023 we expanded our infectious disease IVD offering through the acquisition of ViroStat, a global leader in infectious disease antibodies and antigens.2
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“Our partnership with ViroStat enhances our offerings for infectious diseases and bolsters our scientific capabilities in IVD antibodies and antigens. We have a long-standing relationship with ViroStat and respect their work. We’re excited about the synergy between our teams and our shared goal of enabling customers in their fight against global infectious diseases.” - Steve Ferguson, CEO of Medix Biochemica3 |
Expertise and experience3
Medix Biochemica has extensive experience in developing and supplying antibodies, antigens and other essential materials for infectious diseases – we’ve been doing this since 1985 and have become a trusted global IVD supplier. Today, we work with 23 of the 25 largest global IVD companies.
ViroStat has a history as a trailblazer in the field of infectious disease raw materials. They manufacture quality antibodies and antigens used for the detection of respiratory agents, sexually transmitted disease (STD) agents, gastrointestinal agents and food-borne pathogens.
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Did you know? ViroStat is widely known for their high-affinity influenza A, influenza B, RSV and Strep A antibodies for use in rapid lateral flow devices. |
Enhanced manufacturing capacity3
The integration of ViroStat's product offering into Medix Biochemica’s large-scale manufacturing capacity has increased our production capabilities to meet the growing demand for critical antibodies and antigens.
Reinforcing our customer-centric approach3
Medix Biochemica and ViroStat both have an in-depth understanding of customer needs in the field of IVD immunoassay test development. We’re committed to providing trusted solutions, including:
Since the acquisition, Medix Biochemica and ViroStat have achieved the following:
Lower respiratory tract infections (LRITs) have the greatest burden on human health, with two-fold and six-fold greater disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) compared to ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus respectively.5 In 2019 there were 488.9 million incident cases and 2.4 million deaths due to LRTIs globally.6
STDs present a significant global burden. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 million curable STDs are acquired every day. In 2020 there were an estimated 374 million new infections in people aged 15 to 49 years with one of four curable STDs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis or trichomoniasis. More than 500 million people aged 15 to 49 years are currently estimated to have a genital infection with herpes simplex virus. In 2022 1.1 million pregnant women were estimated to be infected with syphilis, resulting in over 390 000 adverse birth outcomes. And human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with over 311 000 cervical cancer deaths every year.7
Diarrheal enteric diseases cause the deaths of 500 000 children under the age of five every year. These disease often spread due to inadequate sanitation and poor water quality, and disproportionately affect lower- and middle-income countries, especially people living in urban informal settlements.8
Food-borne diseases present another serious global health threat. Unsafe food causes 600 million cases of food-borne disease and 420 000 deaths globally each year. 30% of these food-borne deaths occur among children under the age of five.9
Because ViroStat specializes in materials needed for the timely detection and accurate monitoring of these four types of infectious disease, our partnership with them makes us better equipped to help IVD customers combat the diseases’ harmful global effects.
| “Our deep understanding of infectious diseases detection, including respiratory agents, STD agents, gastrointestinal agents/toxins and food-borne pathogens positions us as a valuable partner for any needs in this area. Highlighting our extensive portfolio and expertise underscores our capabilities.” - ViroStat LLC4 |
With the shared goal of empowering IVD customers in their fight against global infectious diseases, Medix Biochemica and ViroStat look forward to more exciting developments as our partnership grows.
Contact us to learn more about Medix Biochemica’s infectious disease products
References
1. Infectious diseases. Medix Biochemica. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.medixbiochemica.com/infectious-disease.
2. Medix Biochemica acquires ViroStat. Medix Biochemica blog. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://articles.medixbiochemica.com/medix-biochemica-acquires-virostat/
3. Medix Biochemica acquires ViroStat. Data on file. Medix Biochemica flyer. October 2023.
4. Expert opinion. Anthony Austin, Global Marketing Manager, Medix Biochemica. July 2024.
5. José RJ. Respiratory infections: a global burden. Annals of Research Hospitals. 2018;2(9). doi:10.21037/arh.2018.09.01.
6. Safiri S, Mahmoodpoor A, Kolahi AA, et al. Global burden of lower respiratory infections during the last three decades. Front Public Health. 2023;10:1028525. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1028525.
7. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). World Health Organization. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis).
8. Lappan R, Henry R, Chown SL, et al. Monitoring of diverse enteric pathogens across environmental and host reservoirs with TaqMan array cards and standard qPCR: A methodological comparison study. Lancet Planet Health. 2021;5(5):e297-e308. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00051-6.
9. Estimating the burden of foodborne diseases. World Health Organization. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.who.int/activities/estimating-the-burden-of-foodborne-diseases.