Irish life sciences company Technopath Clinical Diagnostics has launched its diagnostic reagent kit, the i-plaq test.
The i-plaq test is a blood test using a single human-based serum calibrator and two levels of controls enabling a quick detection of enzymatic activity of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2).
The Lp-PLA2 is a vascular-specific inflammatory marker considered critical in the formation of rupture-prone plaque from a standard blood test.
Higher levels of Lp-PLA2 are indicative of the fact that the atherosclerotic plaque is more likely to rupture, causing blood clot that could result in cardiovascular disease (CVD) events.
The Lp-PLA2 has a risk ratio similar in magnitude to that of systolic blood pressure and non-HDL cholesterol.
The i-plaq test’s performance and ease of use is expected to improve the CVD risk assessment for patients.
Technopath Clinical Diagnostics CEO Malcolm Bell said: "We are very excited to announce the commercialisation of the i-plaqtest kit, a test that is both easy to use and reliable while generating high quality patient results at clinically significant ranges.
"This launch represents a significant development opportunity for our company as we target additional products for this large and growing new market segment."
