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9:47 am, September 9, 2008
Myconostica introduces test for causes of fungal pneumonia

By Claire Shoesmith

Myconostica, a biotechnology company spun out of Manchester University, has begun selling a new test to help doctors identify the most common causes of fungal pneumonia.

Fungal pneumonia is the leading cause of infectious death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients, as well as the most common first manifestation of AIDS, the company said.

Myconostica claims its test is capable of identifying the two main causes of fungal pneumonia, aspergillus and pneumocystis, within four hours and that diagnosis followed by antifungal treatment within the first 10 days of infection reduces the mortality rate from 90 per cent to 40 per cent.

Chairman and chief medical officer David Denning said: “Early identification of disease reduces the patient’s exposure to inappropriate drug treatments, improves patient outcomes and reduced the hospitalisation and treatment costs associated with invasive fungal disease.”

Myconostica has raised more than £5m from venture capitalists and private investors to help fund its products.

Comments? cshoesmith@crain.com