| SIMI VALLEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)—Oct 1, 2009—Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, Inc., (VDxI) a Veterinary Clinical Ventures Company dedicated to the introduction of innovative biomarkers for companion animals, announces the launch of VDxI pCNP; the first and only test to detect clinically important infections such as sepsis in canines. The pCNP test detects N-terminal C-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proCNP) in the blood of dogs which is produced in response to an active and life threatening infection. pCNP is patent pending. In an independent clinical study, NT-proCNP was shown to be increased by more than 5-fold in dogs with sepsis. Additionally, the biomarker demonstrated a very high degree of specificity in differentiating dogs with sepsis from dogs with other non-infectious causes of critical illness. “Infection that causes critical illness (i.e., sepsis) is difficult to diagnose and is associated with mortality rates of 50 to 70% in dogs”, said Amy DeClue, , from the University of Missouri, College of Veterinary Medicine. “The NT-proCNP test performed well in our study and appears to be a useful diagnostic test for sepsis in dogs.” VDxI released the pCNP test and clinical study results at the 2009 International Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Symposium (IVECCS) in Chicago. The canine pCNP test is now available through VDxI’s reference lab services. Studies evaluating the use of this test in felines are ongoing. “Infections are a common problem veterinarians face each day”, said Randy Ringold, President and Founder of VDxI. “Until now there has not been a good diagnostic test. We are very pleased in the outcome of this ground breaking research”. About Veterinary Diagnostics Institute VDxI, a California corporation, is a Veterinary Clinical Ventures Company, dedicated to the introduction of innovative biomarkers for companion animals. Through collaboration with academia and in-vitro diagnostics manufacturers, VDxI addresses a growing demand in the veterinary healthcare service for advanced diagnostics. The United States has the world’s largest population of companion animals, over 160 million, with over $20 billion spent on veterinary care each year. For more information see www.vdxinstitute.com. Contacts: General Information Steve Gauthier (949) 273-8378 gauthiers@vdxinstitute.com |
