LexaGene to host veterinary event with UPenn professor presenting a study of MiQLab detecting Staphylococcus in canine skin infections

LexaGene Holdings Inc (CVE:LXG) (OTCQB:LXXGF) has revealed plans to host a private event for a select group of veterinarians, including University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine microbiology professor Shelley Rankin, who used the company’s MiQLab to detect Staphylococcus in specimens collected from canine skin infections Rankin will present data on her experience in a keynote address at the event. To demonstrate the performance of LexaGene’s MiQLab to detect common bacterial pathogens encountered in veterinary medicine, Rankin and LexaGene teamed up to perform a series of analytical and clinical studies, the company said.  Rankin’s evaluation focused on skin and soft tissue infections in dogs, which are commonly caused by Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (SP) and Staphylococcus schleiferi (SS). Rapid in-clinic molecular diagnostics that can detect Staphylococcus and the presence of the mecA gene will, in most cases, allow veterinarians to prescribe an appropriate antibiotic.  READ: LexaGene Holdings ramps up manufacturing of its flagship MiQLab system Antibiotic use can contribute to the problem of drug resistance in bacteria and inappropriate use of antibiotics is highly discouraged in veterinary medicine, the company said, so it is important to know quickly if the mecA gene is present.  For this study, 23 skin specimens containing SP or SS, were tested with the MiQLab, and Staphylococcus was detected in 21 of these specimens (91%). Similarly, antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed the MiQLab detected the mecA gene in 8 of 9 (89%) of the Staphylococcus isolates that were cultured and found to be resistant to methicillin.  This suggests that veterinarians using MiQLab in their clinic can prescribe therapy with confidence based on genetic analysis and will improve clinical outcomes and minimize the development of drug-resistant bacteria, the company said. “LexaGene’s MiQLab returns a molecular analysis on specimens in a fraction of the time it takes for culture to return results,” Rankin said. “As a result, veterinarians using MiQLab can rule-out, or rule-in, infection and therefore offer pet owners evidence-based treatment decisions for their pets on the same day of the clinical appointment. In this day and age, when antibiotic resistance is common in many veterinary pathogens, veterinarians are looking for new technologies to minimize the use of unnecessary or non-efficacious antibiotics and improve patient outcomes.” LexaGene CEO Jack Regan will deliver introductory remarks on the use of molecular diagnostics in veterinary medicine and present analytical and clinical data generated using the company's MiQLab system. LexaGene staff completed their own clinical study that focused on detecting the pathogens responsible for urinary tract infections in cats and dogs. For this study, 51 frozen canine urine samples (25 positive and 26 negative samples) that were previously tested by culture were processed on MiQLab, the company said. The MiQLab test results had a positive percent agreement of 100%, negative percent agreement of 98.5% and overall percent agreement of 98.6%. The staff also completed two analytical studies. The first was performed to determine the MiQLab’s limit of detection (LoD) for the most common pathogen responsible for urinary tract infections in cats and dogs, Escherichia coli. A total of 28 samples were processed on four MiQLabs and the LoD was determined low enough to detect the vast majority of infections considered to be clinically relevant. Furthermore, these data can be quickly generated inside the clinic, avoiding the 24 hours or more it takes to get results back when samples are shipped to a reference laboratory for testing. The second study looked to provide insight into how the MiQLab correlates to the colony-forming unit measurements reported when samples are cultured. The data signify that values reported by the MiQLab correlate extremely well with the counts provided from traditional culture methods, which can be useful for tracking whether an administered antibiotic is having the desired effect. “Our goal has always been to have the MiQLab generate high quality data inside veterinary clinics where veterinarians can use this data to guide treatment decisions,” Regan said. “These data prove we have achieved this goal. Our sales team will be using these data to secure sales in the veterinary market, which has relatively few options for quality in-hospital pathogen testing.” Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com   Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel