OXFORD, United Kingdom. and MARLBOROUGH, Mass., November 30th, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - - Oxford Immunotec Global PLC (Nasdaq:OXFD), a global, commercial-stage diagnostics company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary tests for the management of immune-regulated conditions, today announced that it has been selected by NHS England to provide tuberculosis (TB) testing for persons recently immigrating to England as part of the National Health System’s (NHS) new strategy for TB control in England. The NHS’s new strategy comes in response to growing TB rates in England and represents a significant new initiative in the fight to control this deadly infection.
In connection with this strategy, the NHS formed regional TB control boards and issued a tender for laboratories and other service providers to bid for contracts to test 16 to 35 year olds who recently arrived in England from countries with a high incidence of latent tuberculosis infection. The tender lasts for a minimum of three years, with estimated testing volumes of approximately 50,000 tests/year. The tender included only interferon gamma release assays, or IGRAs. The tuberculin skin test was not considered for this program.
Oxford Immunotec won bids in six out of eight regions, representing 90% of the forecasted test volume. Winning bidders in each region were selected on the basis of service capability, quality and price. Oxford Immunotec will provide T-SPOT®TB testing services from its Oxford Diagnostic Laboratory (ODL®) in the United Kingdom. ODL will also provide educational, administrative and logistical support for the TB control boards in each of the regions in which Oxford Immunotec won a bid.
“We are delighted to have been selected for this tender on the basis of our high quality and competitive testing service in the UK,” said Dr. Peter Wrighton-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Immunotec. “In much of the developed world, the majority of TB cases arise from recent immigrants carrying a latent infection that reactivates after arrival. The UK is leading the world in starting a national program to screen high-risk immigrants. We are proud to be at the forefront of this important new initiative, which could have significant policy implications for TB control in both the UK and for other developed world countries.”
About Oxford Immunotec
Oxford Immunotec Global PLC is a global, commercial-stage diagnostics company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary tests for the management of immune-regulated conditions. The Company’s first product is the T-SPOT.TB test, which is used to test for tuberculosis infection. The TSPOT. TB test has been approved for sale in over 50 countries, including the United States, where it has received pre-market approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Europe, where it has obtained a CE mark, as well as Japan and China. The T-SPOT.CMV test is the Company’s second product and the first in a series of products intended for the transplantation market. Overall, the Company has seven active development programs, each of which leverages our T cell, B cell and innate immune measuring technology. The Company is headquartered near Oxford, U.K. and in Marlborough, Mass. Additional information can be found at www.oxfordimmunotec.com.
