QIAGEN N.V. announced the CE product launch of QuantiFERON®-TB Gold Plus (QFT®-Plus), the fourth generation of the most accurate test for detecting tuberculosis (TB) infections. QFT-Plus builds on the legacy of QuantiFERON-TB Gold, which was the third-generation version of this important technology that has established itself as a cost-effective tool for TB infection testing with more than 20 million tests distributed worldwide since its initial launch. QFT-Plus, which was recently CE-IVD marked, is now being made available in Europe and other markets and will gradually replace the use of QuantiFERON-TB Gold, which achieved an important milestone with more than $100 million of annual sales in 2014 and becoming one of the largest products within the QIAGEN portfolio.

Among the many new features of QFT-Plus are: Improved technology that delivers even higher sensitivity (ability to correctly identify those patients with disease) and specificity (ability to correctly identify all patients without disease) in patients at great risk for TB infection, particularly individuals co-infected with HIV/TB and other immunocompromised patients. Advances to support research into the risk stratification of latent TB infections developing into active disease based on the first-time incorporation of CD8+ T cell response data, which provides valuable new information to researchers by measuring a broader range of immune response. Published scientific evidence underlines the future potential of CD8+ T cells in distinguishing active from latent TB, discerning recent vs.

old infections, detecting TB in certain risk populations (such as HIV co-infection and young children), as well as assessing response to TB treatment. Workflow improvements that allow for even more efficient implementation, especially in large-scale TB screening programs. These include a single-tube blood collection option as well as the ongoing use of the unique "assay in collection tube" design that allows for immediate stimulation of the blood sample, which ensures no loss of T cell activity that is critical for obtaining accurate and reliable results. Further improvements to test reliability, consistency and performance designed to result in fewer indeterminate results and less requirements for retesting.