Researchers Find Gazelle Hb Variant Test Offers Accuracy and Accessibility for Newborn Sickle Cell Disease Screening and Premarital Screening for Beta Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease

In Brief:

• Findings from studies in Türkiye and Ghana presented at ASCAT 19^th Annual Scientific Conference demonstrate that the Gazelle Hb Variant Test is an effective tool for accurate and affordable newborn and premarital screenings when compared with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
• In Ghana, the Gazelle Hb Variant Test enabled cost-effective and rapid identification of common hemoglobin (Hb) variants in newborns at the point of care (POC).
• The same POC testing platform, when used as a premarital screening tool in Türkiye, can contribute to Ministry of Health goals of improving testing rates and reducing impacted births.

LONDON, Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Last week, at a conference hosted by the Academy for Sickle Cell and Thalassemia (ASCAT) in London, results of two clinical studies demonstrated the effectiveness of the Gazelle Hb Variant Test as a clinical tool for newborn and premarital screening in environments disproportionately affected by Hb variant-associated illnesses.

Türkiye: Effective Premarital Screening for Beta Thalassemia
Prof. Dr. Duran Canatan, Hematologist, Antalya Bilim University, Antalya, Türkiye presented the results of a comparison study of Gazelle versus HPLC to evaluate Gazelle as a premarital screening tool for beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease (SCD). These hemoglobinopathies are serious health problems in Türkiye, and previous research has shown that a significant reduction in affected births can be achieved through premarital screening. Prof. Canatan and researchers at Antalya Bilim University sought to identify an affordable POC replacement for the central laboratory tests typically used for the screening.

“To ensure continued progress on our goal of lowering impacted births, ongoing education and screening must be prioritized among Turkish citizens, as well as immigrants and refugees, particularly in areas where centralized testing is not available,” said Prof. Canatan. “In our efforts to expand premarital screening for beta thalassemia, we found that Gazelle is a highly effective replacement for HPLC. Not only is the Gazelle test as effective in identifying and quantifying hemoglobin variants, but it also offers additional advantages, such as affordability, fast turnaround time, and digital capabilities. Importantly, Gazelle is the only test that can identify beta thalassemia at the point of care [based on detection of Hb variants].”

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