SpeeDx Pty Ltd, Sydney, has entered into an agreement with Cepheid, Sunnyvale, Calif, for distribution of its PlexPCR and ResistancePlus molecular diagnostic products in key markets throughout Europe. The agreement, covering France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, will increase availability of the SpeeDx ResistancePlus MG test, the first CE-marked test for the sexually transmitted infection Mycoplasma genitalium to combine detection with testing for azithromycin resistance.

Timing of the agreement coincides with recent guideline changes across Europe recommending MG resistance screening in the management of nongonococcal urethritis.1 The inclusion of a macrolide resistance test when detecting M. genitalium provides clinicians with much-needed information to guide antibiotic treatment. MG is more prevalent than gonorrhea and its resistance to frontline macrolide antibiotic treatment is rapidly increasing. In recent studies, antibiotic resistance has been observed in up to 50% of M. genitalium-positive patients.2

Colin Denver, SpeeDx.

Colin Denver, SpeeDx.

“This partnership is a true win-win,” says Colin Denver, CEO of SpeeDx. “We gain better access to these important European markets, and Cepheid can bring its customers a comprehensive test for M. genitalium and azithromycin resistance.”

Persing

David Persing, MD, PhD, Cepheid.

“SpeeDx offers a unique approach to simultaneous detection of pathogens and drug resistance directly from clinical specimens, consistent with Cepheid’s approach to detecting tuberculosis,” says David H. Persing, MD, PhD, chief medical and technology officer at Cepheid. “This technology could potentially be applied in multiple settings in which actionable treatment information is needed quickly.”

For more information, visit Cepheid or SpeeDx.

REFERENCES

  1. Horner PJ, Blee K, Falk L, et al. 2016 European guideline on the management of nongonococcal urethritis. Int J STD AIDS. 2016;27(11):928–937; doi: 10.1177/0956462416648585.
  1. Unemo M, Jensen JS. Antimicrobial-resistant sexually transmitted infections: gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma genitalium. Nat Rev Urol. 2017;14(3):139–152; doi: 10.1038/nrurol.2016.268.