QIAGEN partners with International Panel Physicians Association to increase awareness of tuberculosis screening requirements

Joint educational initiative to focus on Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) benefits for healthcare providers // Updated U.S. CDC guidelines mandate IGRA testing for individuals aged 2 and older from high‑TB incidence countries, as part of U.S. immigrant visa medical exam // QIAGEN to host global, CPD-accredited event on March 21, just before World TB Day, focusing on TB infection screening, preventive therapy and challenges of high-risk groups

Germantown, Maryland, and Venlo, the Netherlands, March 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced a partnership with the International Panel Physicians Association (IPPA) to support and educate panel physicians around the globe on the latest tuberculosis (TB) screening requirements. A special focus will be on the new Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) requirements and the associated benefits for patients and healthcare providers.

This collaboration follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updating its guidelines for new TB screening requirements for immigrants to the United States. Together, QIAGEN and IPPA are committed to promoting the use of IGRA testing, such as QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON-TB Plus, to ensure a safe immigration process and support the global fight against TB. IPPA is a U.S.-based non-profit organization of physicians who are authorized to conduct immigration medical evaluations by governments of countries that receive migrants, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“Our collaboration with IPPA enables us to raise awareness about the benefits of IGRA testing and support the U.S. national strategy to eliminate TB domestically by 2050. This partnership will lead to better detection of latent TB infection before departure for the United States and help identify immigrants who would benefit from preventive treatment,” said Fernando Beils, Senior Vice President and Head of the Molecular Diagnostics business area at QIAGEN.

Alexandra Ortega, MPH, MCHES, Executive Director of the IPPA, said, “Working together with QIAGEN allows us to educate panel physicians on the latest TB screening requirements, ensuring patients receive the most accurate and efficient testing available. This partnership will play a crucial role in global efforts to combat TB.”

The updated CDC guidelines now mandate that by October 1, 2024, all individuals aged above 2 years old from countries with a WHO-estimated TB incidence rate of more than 20 cases per 100,000 people will require an IGRA test as part of their U.S. immigrant visa medical exam, expanding from the previous requirement covering only children age 2 to 14.