Abbott launches new vitamin D deficiency test

Abbott has announced the European launch of its new assay for use in the detection of vitamin D deficiencies.

The Architect 25-OH Vitamin D assay has received CE marking and utilises Abbott's automated instrument technology to measure levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream.

It has been designed to assist laboratories in managing expected increases in vitamin D testing volumes due to the increasing prevalence of the health issue, with vitamin D levels linked to skeletal disorders such as rickets, osteopenia and hyperparathyroidism.

According to the manufacturer, the new Architect device offers fast, accurate and cost-effective performance, which will make it easier for patients to benefit from preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Brian Blaser, senior vice-president of diagnostic operations at Abbott, said the device is "a valuable and convenient addition for Architect customers, who now have an automated test to use on samples that previously might have been sent to outside reference labs".

Earlier this month, the company also received CE Mark approval for Absorb, the world's first drug-eluting bioresorbable vascular scaffold for coronary artery disease.