A Medical Device Daily

Tm Bioscience (Toronto), which focuses on the commercial genetic testing market, reported that its ID-Tag Respiratory Viral Panel (RVP), a test for the detection of the majority of strains and subtypes of respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus A and B, influenza A (with subtyping) and influenza B, will be evaluated by a U.S. Navy research laboratory.

The ID-Tag RVP will be used to establish a comprehensive public health surveillance program in countries in the South East Asia region. In collaboration with regional health authorities, the U.S. Navy research laboratory will conduct infectious diseases surveillance activities using the ID-Tag RVP to focus on detection of acute respiratory pathogens including avian influenza.

“The multi-virus panel will be evaluated as a first line surveillance tool in one of the areas at highest risk for pandemics,“ said Greg Hines, president/CEO of Tm Bioscience. “This is an important step in our strategy to make the ID-Tag RVP product a worldwide standard for use in public health programs as well as for use in patient and resource management in clinical environments.“

The ID-Tag RVP from Tm Bioscience is designed to play a key role in patient management, infection control and in countering the pandemic threat of respiratory diseases, all with results in less than six hours.

The ID-Tag RVP has received CE mark certification and the company is focused on gaining regulatory clearance from the FDA for the ID-Tag RVP as an in vitro device (IVD) in the U.S.