MARLBOROUGH, Mass. & ABINGDON, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oxford Immunotec announces that Michael D. Iseman, MD, a world-renowned pulmonologist and leading authority on tuberculosis disease has joined the company as Senior Scientific Advisor. In this role, Dr. Iseman will provide guidance to Oxford Immunotec and healthcare professionals in their efforts to improve the diagnosis of TB infection and eradicate tuberculosis in the United States.
“Improving the diagnosis of TB infection is critically important, and Dr. Iseman is uniquely qualified to help us in our goal to set the standard for TB testing accuracy, simplicity and cost-effectiveness,” commented Jeff Schroeder, President of Oxford Immunotec, Inc. “In addition, Dr. Iseman’s highly-regarded ability to educate medical professionals will be invaluable in raising awareness of the differences between innovative technology like our T-SPOT®.TB test and the 100 year-old tuberculin skin test.”
Dr. Iseman has been a faculty member at National Jewish Research Center and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is currently Professor of Medicine with appointments in both pulmonary medicine and infectious diseases. Dr. Iseman served as Director of the Mycobacterial Disease Service at National Jewish Medical and Research Center, and a consultant to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). He lectures throughout the world and has authored numerous articles and editorials, as well as the textbook “A Clinician’s Guide to Tuberculosis”.
Tuberculosis, commonly called TB, is a common and frequently deadly infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body. It is spread through the air when people who have an active tuberculosis infection cough or sneeze transmitting the bacteria through the air. Most infections in humans result in an asymptomatic, ‘latent’ infection; approximately one in ten latent infections eventually progresses to active disease. TB was once the leading cause of death worldwide, and today, despite national and international efforts to eradicate the disease, continues to have a serious impact. In the United States alone, It is estimated that14 million people have latent TB infection, and the Center for Disease Control reported more than 11,000 active cases of TB in 2010. At greatest risk are health care workers, people infected with HIV, and foreign-born residents of the United States.
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About Oxford Immunotec
Oxford Immunotec Ltd., the T cell measurement company, is headquartered near Oxford, UK; its US operations are based in Marlborough, MA. The company develops and sells clinical diagnostic products based on its patented T-SPOT® technology, the first FDA-approved method for directly quantifying antigen-specific T cells.
T-SPOT technology is a simple and extremely accurate method of studying a person’s cellular immune response to infection and could be applied to diagnose and monitor any major disease driven by a T cell response.
About the T-SPOT®.TB test
The T-SPOT.TB test is an in vitro T cell measurement assay used for diagnosing TB disease and latent TB infection and is the first product from Oxford Immunotec using T-SPOT technology. The product offers unrivalled sensitivity with results unaffected by a patient’s immune status. The T-SPOT.TB test is approved for sale in Europe, USA, Canada and over 40 other countries worldwide and is designed to replace the 115 year old tuberculin skin test. It offers a substantially more accurate and effective tool for controlling the spread of TB, addressing a market exceeding $1bn.
T-SPOT and the Oxford Immunotec logo are trademarks of Oxford Immunotec Ltd.