Axis-Shield plc signs agreement with Bio-Rad for Anti-CCP test for early detection of rheumatoid arthritis

Axis-Shield, the international in vitro diagnostics company, today announces that it has signed an agreement with Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., of Hercules, California, to incorporate a test for anti-CCP (antibodies to cyclic citrullinated peptides) in the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on Bio-Rad’s automated analysers, including the revolutionary BioPlex^® 2200 system.

The anti-CCP assay is regarded by many experts as the most significant recent development in the early diagnosis of RA, facilitating improved management of this widespread and debilitating condition, affecting over 2 million people in the USA alone.

Svein Lien, Axis-Shield CEO, commented: “We are very pleased that our important patented assay for anti-CCP will be added to the menu of this versatile platform. We have a history of successful collaboration with Bio-Rad, which is a highly respected and pioneering organisation in life sciences and a major player in human diagnostic testing, and believe the BioPlex system will add an extra dimension to anti-CCP marketing.” “The ability to develop and launch an anti-CCP test as part of a rheumatoid arthritis panel will add significantly to our growing menu of autoimmune tests on the BioPlex 2200 system,” said John Goetz, Bio-Rad Vice President and Group Manager of Clinical Diagnostics. “As the first and only fully automated and random access multiplex testing platform, the BioPlex 2200 system is ideally suited as a platform for multimarker autoimmune testing that includes rheumatoid arthritis.”