Japanese patent granted for Axis-Shield rheumatoid arthritis test
04 December 2008
Diagnostics company Axis-Shield has secured a Japanese patent governing use of cyclic citrullinated peptides (CCP) in laboratory tests for diagnosing and monitoring rheumatoid arthritis.
Axis-Shield said the new patent complemented a more specific patent already granted and now means the test has strong global protection, with similar patents in Europe and the US.
The company said that the anti-CCP test is rapidly being recognised as the test of choice in the early diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, often before the appearance of symptoms. This is very important in patient management, as early use of the powerful range of anti-rheumatic drugs now available may significantly delay disease onset and reduce disease severity.
The current market for anti-CCP tests is estimated at more than 4 million tests per year, growing at more than 20% per annum. The test has been incorporated into European guidelines for diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis and is now reimbursed in all major European markets as well in the USA and Japan.
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