LexaGene Holdings, Inc., (OTCQB: LXXGF; TSX-V: LXG)
(“LexaGene” or the “Company”), a molecular diagnostics company
that has commercialized an instrument for automated multiplex PCR
testing for veterinary diagnostics, today announced it has
finalized the design of the MiQLab™ Pneumonia Panel for companion
animals and completed initial multiplex testing.
In June 2021, LexaGene and Ethos Discovery partnered to develop
a pneumonia panel to expand the utility of the MiQLab in veterinary
diagnostics. Since then, LexaGene has been working closely with
Ethos Discovery to design and validate a panel for rapidly
determining the cause of pneumonia while simultaneously screening
for antimicrobial resistance factors that should be taken into
account when treating such infections in companion animals.
Respiratory illnesses can cause significant health concerns for the
animals and can have significant financial impact on pet care
businesses, such as hospitals, kennels, shelters, and dog daycare
camps, which often have to shut down in the event of an
outbreak.
Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Onc), the President of Ethos
Discovery, commented, “The opportunity to diagnose and treat pet
animals with complex medical problems, such as pneumonia, using a
point of care instrument will significantly improve outcomes for
veterinary patients. Currently, it takes days to get culture-based
test results back from a reference laboratory, which delays the
initiation of life-saving treatments for patients. Furthermore,
rapidly determining whether any antimicrobial resistance was also
detected would improve the efficacy of treatment plans.”
Dr. Jack Regan, CEO and Founder of LexaGene stated, “The MiQLab
Pneumonia Panel will be our second product launched for veterinary
diagnostics and it will significantly expand the utility of the
MiQLab. Our first panel, the MiQLab Bacterial and AMR V2 Test is
currently being used for definitive diagnosis of infections such as
those involving urinary tract, skin, wound, and ear. Because there
are many different pathogens that cause acute respiratory distress,
we designed a panel to specifically help veterinarians quickly
diagnose respiratory illness in animals for impactful care and
treatment decisions.”
He continued, “Ethos has collected some respiratory samples and
has agreed to send them to LexaGene so that we can complete an
analytical evaluation of the panel. As a next step, Ethos Discovery
will conduct a clinical evaluation of the pneumonia panel on their
purchased MiQLab.”
The MiQLab Pneumonia Panel includes 13 assays targeting bacteria
and 4 assays targeting fungi, plus 19 assays targeting
antimicrobial resistance genes. Specifically, the bacterial targets
include: Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Klebsiella,
Bordetella, Staphylococcus, Pasteurella, Escherichia coli,
Actinomyces, Streptococcus, Mycoplasma, an assay to detect a subset
of Gram positive bacteria, and an assay to target a subset of the
Gram negative bacteria (mostly the Enterobacteriales Order); the
fungal targets include: Histoplasma, Blastomyces, Coccidioides, and
Cryptococcus; and the antimicrobial resistance targets include:
tetA, tetB, tetC, tetG, tetD, tetJ, tetK, tetL, tetM, tetO, tetS,
tet38, CMY, SHV, TEM, CTX-M-1, CTX-M-9, mecA, and gyrA
(fluoriquinolone resistance in Klebsiella and Pseudomonas).
To develop this product, the following has been completed: 1)
selection of targets for inclusion in panel, 2) multiple in-silico
PCR designs for each target, 3) wet lab single-plex testing of all
designs to select the best performing assays, and 4) confirmation
that single-plex assays maintain performance in a multiplex format.
It is possible that through the process of further analytical
evaluation and the clinical validation, that it may be necessary to
modify the final panel to be commercialized.
To learn more about LexaGene and the MiQLab System or subscribe
to company updates, visit www.lexagene.com, or follow us on Twitter
or LinkedIn.
On Behalf of the Board of DirectorsDr.
Jack ReganChief Executive Officer &
Chairman
Corporate & Media Contact:Gail
WinslowDirector of Marketinggwinslow@lexagene.com978.482.6237
ir@lexagene.com800.215.1824
Investors:Sharon ChoeVice
PresidentLaVoieHealthScienceschoe@lavoiehealthscience.com(857)
241-7393
About LexaGene Holdings Inc.LexaGene is a
molecular diagnostics company that develops molecular diagnostic
systems for pathogen detection and genetic testing for other
molecular markers for on-site rapid testing in veterinary
diagnostics, food safety and for use in open-access markets such as
clinical research, agricultural testing, and biodefense. End-users
simply need to collect a sample, load it onto the instrument with a
sample preparation cartridge, enter sample ID and press ‘go’. The
MiQLab™ system delivers excellent sensitivity, specificity, and
breadth of detection and can return results in approximately two
hours. The unique open-access feature is designed for custom
testing so that end-users can load their own real-time PCR assays
onto the instrument to target any genetic target of interest.
About Ethos DiscoveryEthos Discovery is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization devoted to delivering innovations
that will improve the outcome for pets and humans afflicted with
complex medical problems. The founding leadership of Ethos
Veterinary Health, LLC formed Ethos Discovery to conduct nonprofit
scientific research to advance veterinary and human medical science
in December 2016. For more information,
visit ethosdiscovery.org.
About Ethos Veterinary HealthEthos is a
veterinary health company with hospitals across the U.S. providing
advanced medical care for pets. Our approach includes a focus on
transformative science, continuous learning and growth for team
members and collaboration. For more information,
visit ethosvet.com.
The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way
passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither
approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider
(as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture
Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release.
This news release contains forward-looking information, which
involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors
that may cause actual events to differ materially from current
expectation. Important factors -- including the availability of
funds, the results of financing efforts, the success of technology
development efforts, the cost to procure critical parts,
performance of the instrument, market acceptance of the technology,
regulatory acceptance, and licensing issues -- that could cause
actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations
as disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on
SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims
any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law,
to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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