Gentian Diagnostics ASA announced that its new CE-marked Gentian Retinol-Binding Protein Immunoassay is now available for sale. This diagnostic test is an sourced product from a reputable European supplier which has enabled Gentian to launch the product quickly and without significant R&D spend. The assay is instrument independent and can be applied on a wide range of automated clinical chemistry analysers with a normal process time of less than 10 minutes.

The company sees an increasing demand for this assay, largely driven by an aging population and lifestyle associated diseases and deficiencies. Further, the company estimates the market for RBP to EUR 10-20 million. The initial market focus will be on Europe, followed by the US, both by pursuing established distribution channels, but also through new partners.

The Gentian RBP assay contributes to the diagnosis and monitoring of population wide diseases. RBP is a transport protein for retinol (vitamin A) in blood, synthesised in the liver and reabsorbed in the kidney. The diagnostic value is to be found in altered levels of circulating RBP in many conditions, including: vitamin A deficiency, under nutrition, renal dysfunction and diabetes.

The global increase of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and kidney disease as well as high prevalence of malnutrition, underlines the importance of analysing RBP to shed further light on these conditions. Studies show that RBP levels are elevated in patients with diabetes and renal dysfunction and reduced in conditions such as vitamin A deficiency and under nutrition. Mal nutrition represents a substantial socioeconomic challenge in today's healthcare landscape, especially in long-term care facilities, where the prevalence has been reported to be as high as 85%.