GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Longhorn Vaccines & Diagnostics (“Longhorn”), a One Health company developing antibodies and diagnostic tools for global public health and zoonosis concerns, announced today that the University of Pretoria will present two studies around alternative sample tuberculosis (TB) screening using PrimeStore® MTM, an FDA-cleared sample medium for inactivating both RNA and DNA, at The Union World Conference on Lung Health 2025. The abstract presentations will highlight findings showing positive and efficient predictive results for mass oral swab community screenings of TB and applying oral and rectal swabs for detecting TB in pediatric populations using PrimeStore® MTM as a key component of the workflow. The Union conference will take place in-person in Copenhagen, Denmark, from November 18-21, 2025.
TB remains a global health crisis with approximately 10 million new cases annually, and a continued rise in drug-resistant TB rates. Studies have been ongoing in the last eight years about using PrimeStore® MTM for facilitating mass TB screening, consistently demonstrating a superior ability to get patients to the clinic for follow-on detection and treatment. The combination of non-invasive tongue and rectal swabs with PrimeStore® MTM greatly improves pediatric TB testing and allows the samples to be collected anywhere in the world.
The abstracts will be presented by Sharon L. Olifant, a PhD student in Medical Microbiology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa who specializes in developing novel triage methods using self-collected oral swabs to screen for TB and alternative sample testing to detect tuberculosis and respiratory viral infections in high-risk populations, like children:
Presentation #1
- Abstract Title: qPCR batch-processed tongue swabs as screening tool for large-scale community-based case-finding of TB
- Abstract number: SOA14-664-21
- Session Title: SOA14 A taste for something new: Innovative sampling for mycobacterial testing
- Session Date/Time: Friday, November 21, 2025, 09:15 AM – 10:45 AM CET
Presentation #2
- Abstract Title: Tongue and rectal swab samples processed by manual qPCR enhance clinical decision-making in paediatric patients with presumptive tuberculosis
- Abstract number: TBS-EP263
- Session Title: TBS-EP-08 TBScience Moderated E-posters VIII
- Session Date/Time: Friday, November 21, 2025, 12:05 PM – 01:05 PM CET
The Union, also known as the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, is the world’s first global health organization committed to eradicating tuberculosis and lung disease for a healthier world. Its members, staff, and consultants work in more than 140 countries globally. To learn more about The Union Conference on Lung Health visit, conf2025.theunion.org/.
For more information about Longhorn and PrimeStore MTM, visit www.LHNVD.com.
About Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics
Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics is a closely held One Health company based in Maryland that is developing broad coverage monoclonal antibodies and diagnostic tools for worldwide public health concerns such as anti-microbial resistance, inflammatory and metabolic disease, sepsis and to prevent future pandemics. Since its inception in 2006, Longhorn has focused on developing broad coverage antibodies and diagnostic tools that can impact a pandemic on a global scale and at all socio-economic levels. Since pandemics flow between humans and animals, Longhorn products play a significant role to surveil, diagnose, prevent and treat the next infectious disease.
Contacts
Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics
Jeffrey Fischer
Email: jeff@lhnvd.com
Media
Alexis Feinberg – ICR Healthcare
Email: alexis.feinberg@ICRHealthcare.com
