New cheap, portable TB test to begin manufacturing soon

A new test for tuberculosis will soon be available for research use, and its creators — Advanced Biological Laboratories (ABL) and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) — say that it will be smaller, more portable and more affordable than its contemporaries.

Known as DeepChek-TB, the test is based on next generation sequencing, and its release follows years of development. Its current iteration covers important genes linked to TB and the mutations that cause resistance to current anti-TB drugs. An expanded licensing agreement between the two organizations will allow it to be marketed and distributed effectively.

“The continued partnership between TGen and ABL is allowing for next generation science to be applied to patients suffering from the most important infectious disease of our time,” Dr. David Engelthaler, co-director of TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division, said. “The combination of TGen’s scientific advancements and ABL’s manufacturing and distribution channels means that someday soon people most at risk, in every corner of the globe, will be able to access the most advanced TB medical information.”

TB is a global danger, representing the world’s most deadly single infectious agent. Nearly one-fourth of the world is infected by it, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that it is responsible for the deaths of nearly 1.3 million people each year. It is especially dangerous in developing nations, and growing drug resistance is only making it more deadly with time.