Maccabi Healthcare Services announces it is the first HMO in the world to include MeMed BV® test as part of routine care
- Groundbreaking host-response test distinguishes between bacterial and viral infection in just 15 minutes
- Prompt differentiation enables early treatment to prevent deterioration and reduction of unnecessary prescription of antibiotics
- Recent Maccabi pilot study of real world evidence data showed that in 21% of cases, doctors reached a more accurate diagnosis by using MeMed’s technology
Tel Aviv, Israel; June 7, 2022: Following US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of the MeMed BV® test, which helps physicians distinguish between bacterial and viral infections in just 15 minutes, Maccabi Healthcare Services announces today it is launching the test in all its urgent care centers around Israel. Maccabi is one of the largest health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in the world, with 2.5 million members and about 100,000 medical interactions per day.
Head of Maccabi's health division, Dr. Miri Mizrahi Reuven, said: "The new test is a groundbreaking technology that allows for a faster and more accurate diagnosis in community medicine. The test is intended for use in cases where there is uncertainty around the origin of an infection – whether it is bacterial or viral – and the usual auxiliary tests are not sufficient. The test is especially beneficial in children and elderly patients who are at higher risk of medical deterioration if a bacterial infection is not treated in time. We have no doubt that this test can save lives."
The test is based on a technology that decodes the body’s immune response to infection, the ‘host response’, rather than focusing on detecting the presence of a microbe. This allows robust diagnosis when the infection site is inaccessible or unknown, even when the pathogen is undetectable using conventional tests, or when the cause of infection are emerging new pathogens. The MeMed BV® test enables better informed antibiotic treatment decisions, an essential tool in the fight against resistant bacteria, and helps physicians make a more accurate and timely diagnosis.
Maccabi Healthcare Services will make the technology available in all the organization’s urgent care centers starting this month.
A recent pilot conducted by Maccabi showed that in 21% of cases where the new test was used, physicians changed their medical decision in accordance with the test results, proving its effectiveness and relevance in the clinical setting.
Maccabi CEO Sigal Dadon Levy commented: "This is significant news in the world of medicine and we are proud to be the first health organization to provide this service widely. In the future, we believe that this type of device will become a central and leading tool in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.”
Dr. Eran Eden, CEO and co-founder of MeMed, added: "We are delighted to collaborate with Maccabi and for the opportunity to provide innovative medical solutions to its members. This is a partnership puts patients front and center. The test is now also being made available to physicians in the US and Europe. "
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About Maccabi
Maccabi Healthcare Services is one of the world's largest public healthcare providers with 2.5 million members. Maccabi has long been recognized, both in Israel and abroad, as a unique and innovative health care system which leads the way in cutting edge medical technology, comprehensive and integrated computerized information systems, cost–effective management, and sophisticated monitoring and evaluation tools.
About MeMed
Our mission is to translate the immune system's complex signals into simple insights that transform the way diseases are diagnosed and treated, profoundly benefiting patients and society. For additional information on MeMed, please visit http://www.me-med.com
About MeMed BV®
PediatricsThe Lancet IDPLOS OneBMJ PedsEuropean Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
MeMed BV® is a first-of-its-kind immune-based protein signature test, developed and validated over the course of decade-long collaborations with leading academic and commercial partners. It provides physicians with an indispensable tool to help distinguish between bacterial and viral infections across multiple pathogens, even if the infection site is inaccessible or unknown. MeMed BV® measures and computationally integrates the levels of three immune system proteins: TRAIL, IP-10 and CRP. When run on the MeMed Key® platform, MeMed BV® provides a result within 15 minutes. MeMed BV® has been independently validated on thousands of patients and the results have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals (including , , , and ). The MeMed BV® test has received a CE Mark in Europe and AMAR clearance from the Israeli Ministry of Health.About MeMed Key ®
MeMed Key® is a pioneering technology platform, enabling highly sensitive measurements of multiple proteins, within minutes, at the point of need. It opens the way to quantification of a vast array of human proteins in healthy and disease states, where and when it actually matters. The MeMed Key® development program has been partially funded by the US Department of Defense and the EU Commission. MeMed Key® has received a CE Mark in Europe and AMAR clearance from the Israeli Ministry of Health.
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