PrimerDesign Launches New Test Kit For Tamiflu Resistant Swine Flu

PrimerDesign has launched a new test kit for detecting a new drug-resistant strain of the swine flu virus. The mutated virus has been identified in isolated cases in both Europe and Asia. The company expects, with the widespread use of the Tamiflu drug as a treatment for the disease, that such strains will spread and become common.

The new kit will help health organisations and governments track the spread of the mutated virus, enabling them to develop effective strategies for tackling it. The company claims that the kit provides results within 2 hours. A first test confirms if a patient sample is positive or negative for swine flu. The second test determines if the swine flu is a mutant, Tamiflu-resistant strain.

Jim Wicks, director of PrimerDesign, said: The kit is a crucial weapon in containing the spread of the mutant swine flu. Speed of identification is a crucial factor in minimising the impact of the

virus.

University of Southampton scientists founded Primer Design. It is part of the University’s SETsquared Business Incubation programme, which provides intensive business support to high-tech start-up companies. One of four centres in Southern England, the programme uses in-house expertise and a network of seasoned entrepreneurs, investment advisors, professional services firms and academics to provide the breadth and depth of support that emerging technology companies of the future

require.