ABBOTT PARK, Ill., March 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A novel diagnostic test to rapidly detect neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), an early biomarker that identifies patients at risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), has been accepted for review by the United States Food and Drug Administration. If approved, this would be the first test available for use in the United States for the detection of NGAL.
Abbott's test would be able to detect NGAL about two days earlier than the most widely used method for the detection of AKI, a serum creatinine blood test. A landmark study published in Annals of Internal Medicine in May 2008, reported that NGAL is a highly sensitive and specific test for differential diagnosis of AKI that helps distinguish acute injury from normal function and chronic kidney disease.
The new Abbott test received CE Mark certification in Europe last year and is being used by nephrologists and other physicians in the European Union. It is currently an investigational device in the United States. Abbott's Urine NGAL assay is performed on the company's flagship automated laboratory instrument, the ARCHITECT system.
About Abbott's Diagnostics Businesses
Abbott is a global leader in in vitro diagnostics and offers a broad range of innovative instrument systems and tests for hospitals, reference labs, molecular labs, blood banks, physician offices and clinics. With more than 69,000 institutional customers in more than 100 countries, Abbott's diagnostic products offer customers automation, convenience, bedside testing, cost effectiveness and flexibility. Abbott has helped transform the practice of medical diagnosis from an art to a science through the company's commitment to improving patient care and lowering costs. The history of Abbott is filled with examples of first-of-a-kind diagnostic products and significant technological and research advancements.
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