Disruptive Diagnostic Testing at the Point of Need May
Offer Important Defense Against
Dangerous Flu Season
Delray Beach, FL
-- January 29, 2018 -- InvestorsHub NewsWire
-- PositiveID Corporation ("PositiveID" or "Company")
(OTC:PSID),
a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics,
announced today that it has published a white paper and data on its
successful detection of the influenza virus on its
FireflyDX polymerase chain reaction
("PCR") breadboard prototype pathogen detection system ("prototype
system"). The white paper can be found in the Research and White Papers
section of
PositiveID's website or by clicking here.
According to a recent
Washington Post article
citing federal
health officials, this year's flu season is
already the most widespread on record, and has already caused the
deaths of more children than what normally would be expected at
this time of the year. More than 8,900 people have
been hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza since the
season started October 1.
PositiveID's FireflyDX
prototype
system has
successfully detected influenza virus. The with minimally trained
personnel and at a lower cost than existing
systems,in less than 30 minutes
CRP using real-time
designed to provide
accurate, rapid pathogen detection at the
point-of-care/point-of-need (POC/PON) is productsfamily of FireflyDX . Current solutions for accurately
identifying potential pathogens and bio-threats, especially at the
POC/PON, can sometimes take as long as several hours to several
days to provide results, dramatically delaying what is often
life-saving treatment, while also increasing costs, both personal
and financial.
Five different flu virus assays
(Type A; Type B; H3N3; H7N1; and, H5N1) were tested on the
FireflyDX prototype system; a disposable PCR chip was loaded with the
reaction and then inserted onto the FireflyDX prototype
system, and
the
automated runs successfully synthesized cDNA using a reverse
transcriptase step and then completed a 40-cycle PCR to produce the
detected target results.
PositiveID and its ExcitePCR
subsidiary are developing influenzahich may offer a highly
disruptive breakthrough in combatting fast, safe, cost-effective
diagnosis in the field, waccurate, enable toFireflyDX, in both portable and
handheld forms, , which is often diagnosed with
a rapid influenza detection test ("RIDT"). RIDTs are not as accurate,
however, as lab-based testing such as PCR. In fact, the CDC
recommends that if an important clinical
decision is affected by a flu test result, the RIDT result should be confirmed by a
molecular assay such as PCR.
"According to the CDC,
this year's flu
season is geographically widespread and patients' health
complications are abnormally high," stated William J. Caragol,
Chairman and CEO of PositiveID. "Unfortunately, as is often the
case, because lab-based testing demands both significant time and
financial resources, many people being tested at the point
of care or
point of need with rapid influenza detection
tests are getting results that are only partially accurate, or
worse, not accurate at all. This may allow the flu epidemic to
worsen. Fast, affordable point-of-need
diagnostics should be the first line of defense,
and we are
developing our technology
to
offer just such a
solution," continued Caragol.
The predominant
influenza strain this year is H3N2, which
experts believe can present serious health
complications. It adapts quickly to vaccines
and immune responses and often leads serious outbreaks of the two influenza
A viruses and two types of influenza B viruses. Seasons when
the
H3N2 strain
dominates are associated with high levels of
hospitalizations,
deaths and illness.
In addition to
influenza virus, the
FireflyDX prototype system has also
successfully detected a number of other pathogenic organisms
including Zika, Ebola, E. coli, influenza,
MRSA, MSSA, C. diff and others.
About PositiveID
Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a
life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive
patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and
diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of
microfluidic
systems for the automated preparation of and performance of
biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in the mobile
technology vehicle market, with a focus on the laboratory market
and homeland security. For more information on PositiveID, please
visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID
on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Statements about PositiveID's
future expectations, including the likelihood that
disruptive diagnostic testing at the point of need may
offer an important defense against
a dangerous flu season; the
likelihood that the FireflyDX family of products is
designed to provide accurate, rapid pathogen detection at the
point-of-care/point-of-need using real-time PCR in less than 30
minutes, with minimally trained personnel and at a lower cost than
existing systems; the likelihood that
FireflyDX may offer a highly disruptive breakthrough
in combatting influenza; the likelihood that PositiveID is
developing FireflyDX to be a fast, affordable
point-of-need diagnostics to be the first line of
defense about flu; constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act
of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as
that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and
are subject to change at any time, and PositiveID's actual results
could differ materially from expected results. These risks and
uncertainties include, without limitation, the Company's ability to
attract new customers and retain existing customers; the Company's
ability to target the professional healthcare market; the Company's
ability to raise capital; as well as other risks.
Additional information about these and other factors that could
affect the Company's business is set forth in the Company's various
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including
those set forth in the Company's 10-K filed on March 31, 2017, and
10-Qs filed on November 13, 2017, August 14,
2017, and May 15, 2017, under the caption "Risk
Factors." The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release
any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events
or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by
law.
Contact:
PositiveID
Corporation
Allison Tomek
(561) 805-8044
atomek@psidcorp.com