Ireland's HiberGene Diagnostics said this week that it has begun manufacturing its molecular diagnostic test for meningococcal meningitis.
HiberGene, based in Dublin, is a startup company of NovaUCD, an innovation and technology transfer center. The company licensed its meningitis test from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
HiberGene's test is based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification. According to the company's website, the test can be performed in less than 40 minutes, is 100 percent sensitive and 99.7 percent specific, and requires minimal laboratory instrumentation.
The company said it is also developing a molecular diagnostic test for pneumococcal meningitis using the same technology.