Oxford Immunotec's T-SPOT®.TB Test Included in the World Health Organization's First-Ever Essential Diagnostics List

OXFORD, United Kingdom and MARLBOROUGH, Mass., May 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oxford Immunotec Global PLC (Nasdaq:OXFD), a global, high-growth diagnostics company, today announced that the Company's T-SPOT.TB test for tuberculosis (TB) infection has been included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Model List of Essential In Vitro Diagnostics (EDL) - First Edition.

The EDL includes the 113 most important tests recommended by WHO for use at various levels of the health care system. These essential diagnostics satisfy the priority health care needs of the population and were selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy, and comparative cost-effectiveness. 58 of the tests listed are for the detection and diagnosis of a wide range of common conditions, providing an essential package that can form the basis for screening and management of patients. The remaining 55 tests are designed for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of WHO key disease areas, for which there is high quality evidence - HIV, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, hepatitis B and C, syphilis and human papilloma virus. Included in the list were interferon-gamma release assays, of which Oxford Immunotec's T-SPOT.TB test is one of two available globally.

"Despite steady progress in reducing the burden of tuberculosis in recent decades, TB remains a major global health problem and one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide," said Dr. Richard Wenstrup, Chief Medical Officer of Oxford Immunotec. "As acknowledged in the February 2018 publication of new WHO guidelines¹, the identification and management of LTBI in people with a high risk of developing active TB is a critical component of the WHO End TB Strategy. We applaud the inclusion of IGRAs in the WHO's EDL and are pleased to see further recognition of the important role IGRAs will play in the global fight against TB."

¹ Latent tuberculosis infection: updated and consolidated guidelines for programmatic management. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2018.

About Oxford Immunotec

Oxford Immunotec Global PLC is a global, high-growth diagnostics company focused on developing and commercializing proprietary tests for the management of underserved immune-regulated conditions.  The Company's first product is the T-SPOT.TB test, which is used to test for tuberculosis infection.  The T-SPOT.TB test has been approved for sale in over 50 countries, including the United States, where it has received pre-market approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Europe, where it has obtained a CE mark, as well as Japan and China.  The Company's second product line is a range of assays for tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. The Company is headquartered near Oxford, U.K. and in Marlborough, Mass.  Additional information can be found at www.oxfordimmunotec.com.