An ongoing clinical trial using the Innovotech Inc‘s bioFILM PA™ test shows that in 71% of cases, the test suggests different antibiotic treatment choices (p <0.0001) for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) chronic lung infections compared to conventional testing.

Drs. Valerie Waters and Yvonne Yau of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto will present the results in a poster at The 24th Annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference in Baltimore, October 21st to October 23rd. The poster provides an update on the randomized double blind controlled clinical trial currently underway, the purpose of which is to determine if the use of the bioFILM PA test leads to improved CF patient outcomes.

"To date, physicians have based much of their treatment for Cystic Fibrosis lung infections on a combination of conventional susceptibility testing and educated guesses," Ken Boutilier, President and CEO of Innovotech Inc, said. "It is our understanding from speaking with physicians that there are many occasions when conventional testing indicates that the bacteria is resistant to all available antibiotics. The bioFILM PA test has provided results which question the validity of current methods and may ultimately lead to differences in patient outcomes."

bioFILM PA™ is the world’s first biofilm susceptibility test, designed to assist physicians in the selection of the most effective combination antibiotic treatment of patients with PA infections, such as those that occur in patients with CF. Biofilms are known to be present in CF lung infections, and are up to 1000 times more difficult to treat than non-biofilm infections. According to the National Institute of Health, 80% of all human infections are biofilm-related. PA infections are also common in patients with hospital-acquired infections such as ventilator-associated pneumonia and those found in patients with burns and wounds.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting predominantly children and young adults and is one of the most recognized biofilm diseases. CF patients are prone to frequent lung infections that are often fatal.