QIAGEN Backs New AAP Guidelines Supporting QFT-Plus Test

QIAGEN N.V. QGEN recently lauded the new guidelines in the United States that recommend screening at-risk children of all ages for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection with modern blood-based tests such as QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus). The latest guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics highlight testing for TB with modern interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs).

With this development, the company aims for its market-leading QFT-Plus to be a gold standard for blood-based tuberculosis detection for patients of all ages.

More on the New Guidelines

The new TB screening guidelines build upon AAP's previous IGRA recommendations and now cover children of all ages, including infants and children aged two and below. The contagious bacterial infection spread primarily through coughing by patients with the active pulmonary form of the disease. As per the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) data, TB cases have been rising post-COVID-19 as public health authorities and primary care providers catch up to the "surveillance gap" caused by the pandemic.

An estimated 13 million people in the United States are likely to have latent TB infections, and children are at increased risk for progression from infection to contagious active TB disease. They are also frequently exposed to settings with a higher risk for TB transmission, such as schools and childcare centers. The AAP's recommendations follow recently updated guidelines from the American College Health Association stating that IGRAs are preferred over the 120-year-old tuberculin skin test for most situations relevant to college health.

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The updated childhood TB screening guidelines come as U.S. authorities are expanding the role of latent TB screening in national tuberculosis control efforts. QIAGEN recently partnered with the International Panel Physicians Association to support and educate panel physicians worldwide on new US CDC tuberculosis screening guidelines that require the use of IGRA tests to ensure a safe immigration process, supporting the global fight against TB.

Significance of QFT-Plus

Recognized as the world's leading IGRA blood test, QFT-Plus has been established as a superior alternative to the dated TST. The latter is effective in identifying TB infection in people who have received BCG vaccination, which is common for patients from high-TB-burden countries and those unlikely to return for TST interpretation.

The test has helped patients and providers globally by reducing the number of visits to a single blood draw with a faster turnaround time. Nearly 70-80 million TB skin tests are performed globally each year, including 16-18 million in the United States, with healthcare providers increasingly adopting modern IGRA tests. The expanded AAP recommendations will improve TB infection detection in young children so that they can benefit from preventive treatment, underscoring the importance of the QFT-Plus test.

Industry Prospects

Per a Research report, the global TB Diagnostics market was valued at $2.28 billion in 2022 and is likely to witness a 5.2% CAGR through 2022.

TB has emerged as one of the biggest concerns among the government and healthcare agencies, with significant investments being made to develop effective diagnostic technologies to improve patient outcomes and accuracy.

Notable Developments

This month, QIAGEN launched 35 new wet-lab tested digital PCR Microbial DNA Detection Assays for its digital PCR platform QIAcuity, significantly broadening its offerings in the field of microbial research. The new assays target a wide range of pathogens responsible for tropical diseases, sexually transmitted infections and urinary tract infections, further solidifying QIAGEN's position as a leader in microbial detection and analysis.

Price Performance

In the past year, QGEN shares have declined 10.5% compared with the industry's 7.8% fall.

Zacks Rank and Key Picks

QIAGEN currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Hims & Hers Health HIMS, ResMed RMD and Medpace MEDP. While Hims & Hers Health sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), ResMed and Medpace carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) each at present.

Hims & Hers Heath shares have surged 136.4% in the past year. Estimates for the company's earnings have increased from 18 cents to 19 cents in 2024 and from 33 cents to 35 cents in 2025 in the past 30 days.

HIMS' earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, delivering an average surprise of 79.2%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of a staggering 150%.

Estimates for ResMed's fiscal 2024 earnings per share have remained constant at $7.70 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have plunged 10.8% in the past year compared with the industry's decline of 2%.

RMD's earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, the average surprise being 2.8%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 10.9%.

Estimates for Medpace's 2024 earnings per share have remained constant at $11.29 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 85.2% in the past year compared with the industry's 5.1% growth.

MEDP's earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 12.8%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 30.6%.

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