Applied BioCode announced today that it has submitted the BioCode MDx-3000 with 18-Plex Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for 510(k) clearance.

The BioCode MDx-3000 system was designed for high volume molecular testing in large hospitals and reference laboratories. The system automates the PCR amplification, hybridization/target capture, and detection steps of molecular diagnostic testing. It provides laboratories with the ability to run highly multiplexed panels which improves lab efficiency, reduces labor and reagent cost, minimizes sample contamination, and may result in better patient outcomes.

The BioCode MDx-3000 system offers the high volume laboratory an alternative to high cost molecular test systems. The user-friendly system also offers target masking capabilities within panels to address variation in test ordering patterns and potential changes in panel reimbursement. Bi-directional data integration to laboratory information systems simplifies laboratory processes and reduces transcription errors.

The comprehensive BioCode GPP tests for 18 of the most common bacteria, viruses, and parasites that cause infectious diarrhea. The submission of the BioCode GPP comes after the successful completion of a clinical study that included more than 1,550 prospective samples. The study was conducted at several hospital-based clinical laboratories located in different geographical areas in the United States. Applied BioCode anticipates commercial release of the BioCode MDx-3000 with GPP in the early spring of 2018, pending FDA clearance.

Dr. Winston Ho, Ph.D., Applied BioCode’s President, said: “Feedback from our U.S. clinical trial sites has been extremely positive and reinforces the need for a more automated high throughput multiplex molecular test system. The clinical trial sites were very pleased with the ease-of-use of the BioCode system and their ability to quickly train their staff on the system.” He followed on to say, “The Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel will be the first of many syndromic multiplex panels to be commercialized on the BioCode MDx-3000.”

About Applied BioCode

Applied BioCode is a public company traded on the Taiwan Emerging Market Exchange (6598:TT) that designs, develops, manufactures, and commercializes multiplex testing products for the $52 billion In-Vitro diagnostics market.

Their Barcoded Magnetic Bead (BMB) technology and detection systems facilitate the development of highly multiplexed nucleic acids or protein detection assays. The BMB technology offers up to 4,096 unique digital barcodes for multiplex analysis with unmatched decoding accuracy.

Applied BioCode's products will focus on the molecular infectious disease segment of the market with assays that detect pathogens for gastrointestinal tract infections, respiratory infections, and sexually transmitted infections.

Applied BioCode also partners with a variety of other diagnostic companies with applications that include infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, allergies, transplantations, transfusions, hepatitis, and the gut microbiome to develop applications for other areas of the diagnostics industry including the life science research, agricultural testing, and veterinary markets.