WALTHAM, Mass., April 3, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. , the world leader in serving science, announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for Spectra(TM) MRSA, a test designed to screen for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), more commonly known as the "superbug." With the highest Positive Predictive Value commercially available for MRSA screening, Spectra provides accurate results within 24 hours. The Spectra MRSA test is manufactured, distributed and sold under the Thermo Fisher specialty brand, Remel.
MRSA has become a major public health concern, with occurrences on the rise in healthcare facilities nationwide. According to a recent report by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), MRSA is prevalent in 46 of 1,000 patients in the U.S. -- 8 to 11 times higher than previous estimates. Moreover, their findings suggest that MRSA, which is antibiotic-resistant and difficult to treat, may lead to as many as 119,000 patient deaths in U.S. hospitals annually.
In response to these findings, APIC issued a guide for the elimination of MRSA transmission in hospital settings. The guide includes comprehensive prevention measures, such as adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for hand hygiene, use of contact precautions and targeted screening cultures.
"The need for more aggressive prevention measures to stop the spread of MRSA means that healthcare facilities are looking for cost-effective ways to test more patients, around the clock," said Marijn E. Dekkers, president and chief executive officer of Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Spectra MRSA offers healthcare facilities a high-performance solution that integrates with routine laboratory workflows, enabling them to take a more proactive approach to patient care and safety."
Spectra MRSA is a ready-to-use, labor-saving test easily adopted in any healthcare facility to enable continuous testing of patients. The test medium is easy to read, with MRSA appearing as distinctive dark blue colonies. Its use can help to simplify MRSA screening programs, allowing patient testing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
To learn more about Spectra MRSA, visit http://www.remel.com/mrsa. Remel is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit http://www.thermofisher.com/.
The following constitutes a "SafeHarbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, under the caption "Risk Factors," which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available in the "Investors" section of our Website under the heading "SEC Filings." We also may make forward-looking statements about the benefits of the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific, including statements about future financial and operating results, the new company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties relating to: the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; the need to develop new products and adapt to significant technological change; implementation of strategies for improving internal growth; use and protection of intellectual property; dependence on customers' capital spending policies and government funding policies; realization of potential future savings from new productivity initiatives; general worldwide economic conditions and related uncertainties; the effect of changes in governmental regulations; the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on international operations; the effect of laws and regulations governing government contracts; the effect of competing with certain of our customers and suppliers; and the effect of rapid changes in the healthcare industry. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change and, therefore, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to today.
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