Spectra™ MRSA Press Release
Media Contact Information:
Name: Kelly Fowler
Tel: (913) 895-4234
Email:
kelly.fowler@thermofisher.com
Web:
www.remel.com
Thermo Fisher Scientific MRSA Test Receives FDA Clearance for Additional Claims
Spectra™ MRSA is now available to detect MRSA bloodstream infections 24 hours faster than traditional methods, allowing for more targeted antibiotic therapy and improved patient outcomes
LENEXA, Kansas, (October 27, 2010) – Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of additional claims for
Spectra™ MRSA, a test designed to screen for methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Spectra MRSA is now available for the qualitative detection of MRSA from positive blood cultures demonstrating Gram-positive cocci on Gram stain.
Bloodstream infections with MRSA can cause significant morbidity and mortality, resulting in considerable healthcare-related costs. The ability to rapidly differentiate MRSA is critical as it affects decisions on a patient’s antibiotic therapy and treatment regimen. Early recognition of MRSA bloodstream infections is important for patient management and infection control. Spectra MRSA can detect MRSA bloodstream infection 24 hours faster than traditional methods, allowing more targeted antibiotic therapy to improve patient outcomes. It offers flexibility for detection of MRSA in all commercial blood culture systems.
“The need for more aggressive prevention measures to quickly identify and stop the spread of MRSA is critical to reduce healthcare-associated infections in clinical settings, and hospitals need cost-effective solutions for improving patient outcomes,” said Mary Jo Deal, vice president and general manager of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Americas. “Spectra MRSA is the first and only chromogenic media to offer results in 24 hours for both active surveillance of MRSA and detection of MRSA from positive blood cultures, resulting in a simple, economical solution that easily fits into routine laboratory testing procedures.”
Spectra MRSA is a ready-to-use, labor-saving test that can be easily adopted in healthcare facilities to aid in appropriate patient management. The test medium is easy to read, with MRSA appearing as distinctive denim blue colonies on a white background. Its use can help to simplify MRSA screening and testing and allow patient testing to continue 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Spectra MRSA is manufactured and distributed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, widely known for its specialty brands Remel and Oxoid. To learn more about Spectra MRSA, visit
www.remel.com/hai.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of more than $10 billion, we have approximately 35,000 employees and serve customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for our key stakeholders through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, which offer a unique combination of continuous technology development and the most convenient purchasing options. Our products and services help accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, and solve analytical challenges ranging from complex research to routine testing to field applications. Visit
www.thermofisher.com.
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