Cepheid (Sunnyvale, Calif) received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its Xpert™ MRSA/SA Skin and Soft tissue Infection (SSTI) test, which runs on the GeneXpert® System for the rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA, typically methicillin-sensitive) in skin and soft tissue infections.

The MRSA/SA SSTI test processes specimens from suspected skin and soft tissue infection swabs to determine if a patient is infected with MRSA or SA, giving physicians and surgeons a powerful new tool to aid in selecting the most effective antibiotic therapy to improve patient management.

The ability to detect MRSA or SA in less than 1 hour compared to 2 or 3 days with current culture methods will enable clinicians to make real-time decisions as to the best course of treatment or management. The ability to accurately identify MRSA and SA on a timelier basis is important in managing both hospital- and community-acquired infections. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 12 million patient visits in the US each year are related to skin infections.

For more information, visit www.cepheid.com.