QIAGEN Partners with Taiwan in Nationwide TB Screening Effort

QIAGEN N.V. has announced that QuantiFERON®-TB Gold, the modern standard for accuracy in diagnosing latent tuberculosis (TB) infection, was selected by the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (Taiwan CDC) to replace the tuberculin skin test for screening at-risk individuals five years and older.

Starting this month, Taiwan’s nationwide TB control effort will use QuantiFERON-TB Gold to test close contacts of patients with active tuberculosis, a contagious and life-threatening disease. In addition to treating patients with active TB, Taiwan will provide antibiotic treatment for patients identified as having latent TB infection (which if untreated can remain dormant and be activated years later). Only children younger than five years of age will be screened with the skin test.

“We are pleased to partner with Taiwan in combatting TB in their screening programs which will now employ the world’s most accurate test for latent TB infection, QuantiFERON-TB Gold. In addition to providing tests, QIAGEN will offer 25 training courses for public health nurses and medical technicians in all 22 counties,” said Dr. Masae Kawamura, Senior Director of Medical and Scientific Affairs for QIAGEN. “Around the world, QuantiFERON-TB technology has proven its value as an efficient, cost-effective testing solution to aid in TB control efforts. Screening at-risk populations for latent TB infection allows early treatment and prevention of the active disease, which is contagious and requires aggressive treatment with antibiotics.”

The Taiwan CDC joins authorities from many other countries in adopting the modern QuantiFERON-TB Gold test, based on interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) technology, for screening at-risk subpopulations such as contacts of active TB patients, healthcare workers, HIV patients and immune-compromised persons as part of a “screen and treat” strategy for latent TB infection. Taiwan reported 10,555 new cases of active TB in 2015, and the Taiwan CDC estimates it will need about 48,000 IGRA tests in 2016. QuantiFERON-TB Gold was the only IGRA test that has been selected by the Taiwan CDC in the tender.

QIAGEN partners with governments and health organizations around the world to fight tuberculosis – and continues to develop innovative new technologies. QuantiFERON-TB Gold is the modern standard for accuracy in latent TB infection diagnosis – faster, less labor-intensive and more accurate than the tuberculin skin test. The test’s clinical reliability and simpler administration enhance the accuracy of screening and improve the cost-effectiveness of TB control. In 2015 QIAGEN launched QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus in Europe and other markets as a fourth-generation test with CE-IVD marking. To date, more than 20 million tests using QuantiFERON-TB technology have been distributed globally.