Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Date: April 7, 2008
Contact: Carlene Simmons, Marketing Communications Manager
Phone: 800.871.8909 ext. 109

TREK Introduces First FDA-Cleared MIC Plate to Include D-Test and Cefoxitin Screen, Used in MRSA Detection

Cleveland, Ohio — April 7, 2008 – TREK Diagnostic Systems, a Magellan Biosciences company and leading provider of susceptibility products for microbiology labs, is pleased to introduce Sensititre® Gram positive MIC plates – the only MIC plates cleared by the FDA for D-Test and Cefoxitin screening. The new additions enable laboratories to eliminate additional offline tests procedures required to detect resistant organisms, saving valuable time and cost. The D-Test is commonly used to detect inducible Clindamycin resistance. Clindamycin is routinely used to treat community-acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), particularly in pediatric populations. The Cefoxitin Screen procedure is the most sensitive test available to detect low-level Methicillin and Oxacillin (MRSA) resistance.

The Sensititre AST/ID (antibiotic susceptibility testing and identification) system allows clinical labs to test for the widest range of resistant organisms in one platform. In addition to the new tests, the Gram positive plate (Part No. GPALL1F) will contain extended Vancomycin and Daptomycin dilution ranges; Sensititre is the only AST/ID system to offer all of these important capabilities.

“MRSA is a growing concern in healthcare. The inclusion of D-Test and Cefoxitin Screen on our Gram positive plates will allow laboratories to better detect resistant organisms for overall better patient care,” commented TREK Diagnostic Systems’ Global Marketing Director, Jenny Lorbach. “The new MIC plate offers clinical laboratories the ability to streamline their test methods and reduce costs by eliminating offline testing and providing faster turnaround. Combined with the Vizion™ System and SWIN® Software, it will improve testing, reporting and epidemiology of resistance mechanisms.”

With a long history of developing and manufacturing cost-effective customized susceptibility and identification plates, TREK Diagnostic Systems offers a full range of services for clinical trial management worldwide, including custom susceptibility plate design, MIC testing for new drug clearance, resistance surveillance testing, antifungal testing, and frozen CLSI reference plate manufacturing. TREK provides full diagnostic support for laboratories in the United States and in Europe.

Founded in January 1999, TREK Diagnostic Systems is a global manufacturer and distributor of automated systems and consumable products for the microbiology diagnostic laboratory. Signature product lines include VersaTREK®, Sensititre®, alamarBlue®, para-JEM®, YeastOne®, onSite®, and TREK Lab Services. TREK is committed to delivering the highest-quality products and services to clinical, pharmaceutical, and veterinary diagnostic laboratories worldwide. TREK is a wholly owned subsidiary of Magellan Biosciences.

For more information, contact Carlene Simmons at 1.800.871.8909 ext. 109 or via e-mail at csimmons@trekds.com.