Phadia demonstrates ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy testing at AACC 2011

Today, at the 2011 American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, Phadia, the global leader in allergy and autoimmune disease-related diagnostics, demonstrates how ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy can help improve the diagnosis and management of food allergy.

With heightened awareness of the impact, prevalence, cost, and severity of food allergies, ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy provides physicians and patients with information at the molecular level to aid in the diagnosis and management of food allergies. Laboratories play an important role in providing physicians with accurate and reliable data. Phadia is supporting this need by extending its leadership role in allergy diagnosis and management by educating laboratory professionals about the clinical utility of the use of ImmunoCAP Molecular Allergy testing.

Dennis Flannelly, Head of Marketing and Strategy for Phadia US said, "Thirteen ImmunoCAP Allergen Component tests were cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2011. Now that these tests are commercially available, we are working with our laboratory partners to extend awareness and usage of these valuable tools, which provide unprecedented insight into the allergic process for clinicians and patients. The 2011 AACC conference is our first public demonstration of ImmunoCAP Allergen Components since receiving FDA clearance, and we look forward to introducing this new, cutting edge technology to AACC attendees."

Highlights of Phadia's exhibition at the AACC Clinical Lab Expo include:

• Industry Workshop: Molecular Allergy: The future of specific IgE testing. With recent FDA clearance of ImmunoCAP Allergen Components by the FDA, the future is here for specific IgE testing. At this industry workshop, Phadia will explain the significance of these innovative new assays from both a patient care and allergy management standpoint, and highlight the molecular level insight they provide into the allergic process. The industry workshop will be led by Robert Reinhardt, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Phadia U.S. and April Dowdee, FNP, Clinical Educator for Phadia U.S., and held on Wednesday, July 27 at 7AM at the Marquis Ballroom, Salon D of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
• The Quest Diagnostics Health Trends Report™: Allergies Across America™. In May 2011, Phadia's largest laboratory services provider Quest Diagnostics, the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services, released the largest cross-sectional allergy study ever conducted, entitled "Allergies Across America." This study, the latest Quest Diagnostics Health Trends report, was conducted using ImmunoCAP, the world's leading specific IgE test. It provides a vivid picture of the impact of allergies on female and male patients in different age and socioeconomic groups and geographic regions. The report's key findings suggest that allergies are increasing nationally, individuals with allergies are at heightened risk for developing asthma, and gaps in testing affect economically disadvantaged children.
  
  At the AACC annual meeting, Phadia will be working with its other laboratory partners to highlight the significance of this research, which clearly demonstrates how serologic testing is changing the diagnosis and management of allergic disease. To access the report online, visit QuestDiagnostics.com/HealthTrends or visit the Phadia AACC booth to receive a complimentary copy.

• New Laboratory Systems. Phadia will be debuting its Phadia^® 2500 and Phadia^® 5000 platforms, the newest and largest of its fully-automated laboratory systems. Laboratories throughout the world are seeking new solutions to increase their throughput and efficiency. With the Phadia 2500 and Phadia 5000, laboratory partners can enjoy unmatched efficiency, higher throughput, shorter turn around times,and increased flexibility and reliability for both the ImmunoCAP (allergy) and ELiA^® (autoimmunity) product lines.

Source: Phadia