AFINION HbA1c patent granted in USA

Axis-Shield, the international in-vitro diagnostics company, today announces that it has received notice of approval of its US patent application governing the measuring methodology for HbA1c within the Afinion™ cassette for detection of this important marker of diabetic patient compliance. The patent protects technology which improves HbA1c stability, precision and accuracy and has resulted in a longer product shelf-life with improved performance. The invention may also have utility for the well-established NycoCard™ product for the same marker.

The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 180 million people worldwide have diabetes and that this number is likely to more than double by 2030. It is generally agreed that HbA1c blood levels should be tested four times a year in people with Type I diabetes and twice yearly in those with Type II diabetes. The Afinion™ Point-of-Care Analyser and the HbA1c test is now becoming established in the US physician’s office test market as the ease-of-use and reliability of the system are demonstrated.

Ian Gilham, Axis-Shield CEO, commented: “We are developing a strong franchise for measuring HbA1c in diabetes through Afinion™ and NycoCard™ at the point-of-care and on the Abbott AxSYM^® analyser in the hospital laboratory. We are pleased to have been granted this patent as part of our programme to protect our innovative technology in the expanding near-patient testing marketplace.”